Campus Renovations

Brown University Completes Dining Hall Renovations

• By Matt Jones
• 09/08/22

Brown University in Providence, R.I., recently completed a $3-million renovation of one of its campus dining facilities, according to university news. Renovations to Verney-Woolley Dining Hall began in May and consisted largely of “back of the house” changes including increased cooler and freezer space, more storage space for dry food and a new energy-efficient dishwasher, according to Vice President of Dining Services George Barboza.

The renovations were spurred primarily by the opening of the new nearby Sternlicht Commons dorm, as well as complaints from dining hall workers about the lack of storage space.

Renovations to the front-facing part of the dining hall include a new seating area with natural light, vinyl flooring and the addition of an allergy-free pantry for students with dining restrictions.

Construction was originally budgeted for $1.8 million, and the university partnered with Shawmut Design and Construction for the project. “Soft costs” like furnishing and the new dishwasher were budgeted for about $1.2 million, said Barboza.

Construction difficulties included mold on some of the HVAC pipes and inside the cooler walls, as well as the discovery of an unmarked pipe that delayed progress. “With the age of this building and the renovations that it’s had in the past, you open up the walls and things come to light,” said Ashley Shawyer, project manager at Shawmut. “We were not expecting the amount of curveballs thrown at us, but we had a great team all across the board from the Brown staff to the Shawmut staff that came together to make it work.”

The university also partnered with Moser Pilon/Nelson Architects for the project’s design.