Eckerd Visual Arts Center/ New two-story hardened facility on occupied campus / 33,434 GSF
Biltmore has been working with Eckerd College for nearly 20 years to develop 188-acres of waterfront real estate for their continued campus expansion. We have participated in the estimating, planning and early design concepts of the campus expansion and upgrade from the first project completed to current work. Our most recent project is a new 33,434 gross square feet Visual Arts Center.
Eckerd’s new Visual Arts Center houses classrooms where students will hone their skills in such mediums as audiovisual, graphic, digital, ceramics, sculptures and paint. The space also includes an art gallery and office space. A basement in the center, rare for Florida, boasts a clay mixing room and provides street access for deliveries. The basement was created by raising the elevation of the project site. This was achieved by hauling approximately 12,000 cubic yards of fill from off site. Weekly quantity surveys were completed to monitor natural settlement and ensure proper elevation. Other special features of the building include: an exhaust system and sinks specifically equipped to handle the various chemicals used in the different art mediums, open room facilities, installed anchors to support sculptures and individual rooms with sealed concrete floors. During construction, Biltmore worked with the owner to help mitigate the impact of soft fees to the overall project budget. Close monitoring and rephasing priority of installations minimized schedule impacts.
