U-M regents approve several renovation projects

The University of Michigan Board of Regents has approved $3.8 million projects that will improve the exteriors of Lorch Hall and James and Anne Duderstadt Center.The Lorch Hall project will repair the exterior masonry and roof of the circa-1928 building. The building, which houses the university’s economic and linguistics departments, will also repair of damaged rain conductors that traverse the interior of the building, along with other architectural, mechanical and electrical work. Lorch Hall is located on the Ross School of Business side of Tappan Street overlooking the U-M Law Quad. It was originally built as the home of the university’s College of Architecture. There are a number of bas relief sculptures that are still relatively easy to find throughout the building that depict its original use. The James and Anne Duderstadt Center, a much newer building constructed in 1996, will have $2.2 million worth of soffit work done this summer. Condensation has caused problems with the soffits over the years, so the new work is expected to solve that and make the building more energy efficient. The Duderstadt Center houses the Art, Architecture, and Engineering Library, the College of Engineering Computer Aided Engineering Network, the Digital Media Commons, the Millennium Project and the Mujo Cafe. The building is named after the former university president James Duderstadt and his wife, Anne. Work on both projects is expected to begin this spring or summer and wrap up this fall.Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke