Project Spotlight: Texas A&M University – Francis Hall

Francis Hall is a three-story, 32,500 square foot academic building located on Texas A&M University’s College Station campus. As one of the oldest buildings on campus, Francis Hall was originally built as the home for the School of Veterinary Medicine. Since then, it has housed several of the university’s departments throughout the last century. Currently the home for the university’s Construction Science department, Francis Hall is considered the first standalone building in Texas to be dedicated to construction education. 

 To help provide a top tier education for the more than 1,000 students enrolled in the department, the interior of this historic building underwent a complete demolition and rebuild. New administrative suites, classrooms, student lounges and specialty labs were built as were an exhibit hall, conference/bid room and a redesign of the building originally auditorium. A state-of-the-art Building Information Modeling (BIM) studio was considered one of the top highlights of the project consisting of 36 high-definition screens projecting wall-sized models for an entire class to view a structure in detail. 

 The exceptional project wasn’t without its unique challenges. Located near the center of campus, Francis Hall is hemmed in by other buildings which created delivery and storage challenges throughout the project’s duration. Delivery drivers often had to maneuver in narrow, cramped spaces. There was also insufficient laydown space for materials once they were delivered to the campus. As a result, material either had to be installed immediately upon delivery or stored inside Francis Hall. 

 After a successful completion, several areas of the building were intentionally left exposed to showcase mechanical, electrical and structural systems. These areas now serve as a learning laboratory for students, allowing them to view operating systems and the construction process in person even though construction is completed. 

 The project won many awards including: ABC National Excellence in Construction Pyramid Award, ABC Houston Chapter Excellence in Construction ICE Award, AGC National Alliant Build America Award, AGC Texas Building Branch Outstanding Construction Award, AGC Houston Chapter APEX Gold Award and ENR Texas-Louisiana Regional Best Project.