Project: Black Hawk College renovated the 50-plus-year- old Building 3 as part of the college’s master facilities plan, updating the building for modern educational practices.

Project amenities: Renovated building spaces include health career and science labs, athletics and fitness areas, a food pantry, classrooms, faculty offices, computer labs, and the campus police.

Design approach: Engineers provided structural, MEP, fire protection, technology audiovisual design, and commissioning for the project. IMEG worked in a team environment with the architect, owner, and construction manager during the design phase and continued to collaborate with the sub-contractors on key parts of the design and construction. The team used an approach that allowed the Health Sciences Center and adjacent parking lot to remain open.

The HVAC systems were upgraded to include energy recovery and demand-controlled ventilation, new fire suppression systems were installed building-wide, and all lighting was replaced with energy-efficient LED fixtures.

Project outcome: The building was transformed from what had been called “a bunker” to a building with plenty of natural light and access to modern technologies and laboratories.