Central Ohio Technical College – Ariel Hall Renovation

This project completely renovated 34,650 SF of Ariel Hall (the Knox Campus of COTC). Located in downtown Mt. Vernon, Ohio, the building was originally constructed in 1979, and had undergone several renovations including a new roof installed in summer 2008. The updated facility includes classrooms, chemistry and nursing labs, offices, a large seminar room and public accommodations. The existing HVAC, plumbing, fire alarm and electrical systems were updated and/or replaced as needed to accommodate the final design. Alterations to the exterior façade were also part of the renovation. Site improvements included, but were not limited to, pavement repair/replacement, site lighting and landscaping. Korda’s engineers designed a flexible IT/data infrastructure to accommodate the rapidly changing requirements of today’s modern data systems. A cable tray pathway system was provided to easily enable wiring from the main data closet to the individual outlets. This cable tray system also allowed the structured cabling system to interconnect the patch panels with the wall outlets. Originally designed for category 6e cabling, due to budget constraints, we allowed 5e cabling to be provided. Several wireless access points were provided to enable students to enjoy wi-fi connectivity throughout the common areas, and a complete telecommunications ground system was provided to protect the entire system. In order to complete the transition of the building into the 21st century, we designed a classroom that embraces the explosion of social media. This classroom enables social media such as Twitter and Facebook to be used by the students during instruction. The goal is to engage the students and improve their educational experience. This classroom also has iPod docking stations that allow students to share media on their iPods and iPhones with the entire class on the class screen. With the increase in desktop monitors and laptops in the learning environment, our lighting system consists of indirect fixtures to reduce glare on the monitors and reduce eye strain. To further improve the lighting levels, multiple switching options are provided to allow the occupants to vary the light levels to accommodate their needs.