New Heating and Cooling System Coming to Lansdell Hall
Photo provided by Rampage student photographer Elei Haynes.
A new heating and cooling system is coming to Lansdell Hall and should be functional by mid-December. The main administrative building for Bluefield University, Lansdell Hall has not had central heat since its coal boiler failed three years ago.
Hal Keene, director of campus operations, shared that last winter, multiple departments relocated “because there was no heat in their offices. So, the option was to either have a little portable heater under your desk or find another spot that wasn’t being used and move over there.”
With dozens of small heaters running, even plugging in a coffee maker could overwhelm the electrical system and knock out power to a whole department. The new system will provide an electrical upgrade along with zone heating and cooling.
Faculty and staff in Lansdell Hall are cautiously optimistic.
“As long as the heat will work, I’m excited for it,” said Chelsie Smith, director of financial aid. Even with a heater and blanket tucked under her desk, Smith struggled to stay warm during the winter. She hopes the new system will create a comfortable work environment.
Burma McChesney, director of academic services, acknowledged the cold but pointed out that “our BU family pulled together and helped each other.”
“My supervisor would always come in early…and he would always have it warm. My heater would always be on,” smiled McChesney.
The renovations will be done floor-by-floor as much as possible. In late September, construction workers will replace the windows in Lansdell Hall, some of which are original single-pane windows that are “not very energy efficient,” according to BU President Steve Peterson.
“We realized that if we’re going to upgrade the heating system, we would need to also do the windows,” Dr. Peterson said.
Keene said he cringes every time a windstorm hits Bluefield because multiple windowpanes have fallen out in the last few years. Built in 1921, Lansdell Hall “is not like a newer construction where you’ve got empty spaces,” Keene said. The walls are a solid 8-12 inches of concrete, which creates “some logistical problems” for installing wiring and refrigerant lines.
“If you want to run some things through the walls or put in a new system,” Dr. Peterson said, “it’s not like you can just cut through drywall. These are solid walls.”
Keene said the new system will be much more “efficient” and “cost-effective,” noting that, “You pay upfront to get it installed, but once you get it installed, you’ll get your money back on the electrical end and just the ease of use.”
Planning for the Lansdell Hall update began over a year ago with equipment arriving in July. The contractor Southern Air from Lynchburg, Virginia, began on-site work in early August. They expect to finish by mid-December.
“We’re able to accomplish the upgrade with help from our sister school, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine,” Dr. Peterson said. “The president there has been gracious enough to provide the funding that allows us to do the upgrade, so we’re very thankful for that.”
Lansdell Hall was originally heated with steam from a coal boiler. A natural gas boiler located in the library basement heats Easley Library, Cruise Hall, Shott Hall, and a large part of the Science Center.
“It’s really kind of undersized for what we’re asking it to do,” Keene said. “We knew we couldn’t connect [Lansdell] to it because it wouldn’t hold up.”
Keene said the plan was to install a more modern system that would be more dependable and much easier to work on.
“There are very few contractors left around that have the expertise and know how to work on these big coal fire boilers and steam boilers,” Keene said. “They’re kind of a dinosaur-type system, and as they’re dying out, there’s nobody younger that knows how to work on them.”
Over the years, various electrical boxes were added to Lansdell Hall. Keene explained that the upgrade will consolidate the separate pieces into a single system, bringing the building “back to usable or comfortable conditions.”
After finishing Lansdell Hall, President Peterson plans to renovate other buildings on campus.
“I have my eye on the Dome, which is a real central place here on campus for our basketball and volleyball teams,” he said “So, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to renovate that facility both on the inside and outside.”
Keene said Bluefield University has a fairly “comprehensive plan” to tackle projects, including renovating Cruise Hall and Rish Hall. “Tentatively, our game plan is to do one each May.”
As for Lansdell Hall, the grind of drills echoes through the hallways as workers install new electrical lines. Sitting in his third-floor office, Keene leans back in his chair and adds, “For the administrative building of a university, it’s long overdue to be brought up to the current standards of the modern age.”