By Fay Harvey
PRESCOTT, Ariz. — Construction recently commenced at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) Prescott Campus on the new T-3 Residence Hall and the Strategic Academic Flight Education (S.A.F.E.) Building. The two-part project will further enhance educational offerings and student life at ERAU, which is the one of the world’s largest fully accredited aviation and aerospace universities.
The $80 million T-3 Residence Hall component of the project will establish two 80,000-square-foot, four-story student housing complexes on the campus, while the $10 million S.A.F.E Building on the Prescott Airport grounds will be a 20,000-square-foot space supporting the university’s flight training program. The new facilities will tackle both the growing demand for skilled pilots and the crucial need for student housing in the Prescott area.
“The construction of the T-3 Residence Halls and the S.A.F.E. Building is a pivotal step in Embry-Riddle’s mission to educate the next generation of aviation and aerospace professionals,” said Ken Witcher, Ph.D., chancellor of Embry-Riddle Prescott, in a statement. “These new facilities will enhance the learning experience and provide state-of-the-art resources that are essential for students’ education and training.”
The Project Takes Flight
Both project sites are located in the heart of the existing (and fully operational) campus, presenting unique hurdles in design and construction.
“In the case of the T-3 Residence Halls, the location of the site required a large amount of excavation and relocation of existing earth and utilities,” said Shawn Blubaum, project executive at Tempe, Ariz.-headquartered Sundt Construction, the project’s builder.
Once completed, the buildings, designed by PQH Group, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., will add 300 beds and 75 suites to the existing campus. Residents will enjoy energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, modern technology, full kitchens and large windows for ample natural light.
Built on a hill, the T-3 Residence Halls are conveniently designed to offer various points of entry. To embed the buildings within the landscape, crews installed soaring retaining walls alongside a large braced structural-steel frame after conducting deep excavations and setting large mat foundations. Construction will be completed in staggered phases, according to Larry Kurtz, senior project manager at Sundt.
Building at an Active Airport
Prescott Airport, located three miles from the campus, is also undergoing new construction and will soon serve as the home for ERAU’s S.A.F.E Building, designed by Houseman Architecture. The facility will complement a previous project that established 42 airplane parking spots on the grounds. However, building on grounds of an active airport required constant collaboration and communication between Sundt, airport personnel and ERAU to ensure continuity of operations, explained Blubaum.
“The [goal during] the construction process is to not build in a vacuum, but to overcommunicate while tying into existing utilities, both landside and airside, and keep total separation from airside operations while erecting the concrete tilt panel structure adjacent to the new airside parking,” said Kurtz.
Inside, the facility is equipped with light operation rooms, debriefing rooms, state-of-the-art flight simulators and hangar space for multiple Cessna aircraft to support ERAU’s aeronautical science, air traffic management and aerospace engineering programs.
“A student could conceivably receive classroom instructions, log practice flight hours, get debriefed on performance, practice in a simulator and work on flight maintenance in the same all-inclusive facility,” said Blubaum.
A Continued Partnership
The projects, which are being built concurrently, are part of an ongoing collaboration between Sundt and ERAU. In 2017, Sundt completed the university’s STEM Education Center and Planetarium, which features multiple research labs supporting exotic propulsion systems, optics, robotics, energy and forensics instruction as well as a cutting-edge dome theater equipped to project clear images of space. The following year, Sundt built and completed ERAU’s T2 Residence Hall within a 14-month timeframe. The three-story, 73,000-square-foot facility is home to 282 students and offers study rooms, game areas, common use kitchens and a fitness room.
“Embry-Riddle is a worldwide leader in aviation, and Sundt is extremely proud to have the opportunity to build our third and fourth projects for the University,” said Blubaum. “As a 135-year-old Arizona-based contractor and national leader in aviation construction, it’s a natural fit between ERAU and Sundt. The core values, mission, and vision of Embry-Riddle are perfectly aligned with Sundt’s core values and our mission and purpose.”