From the Scene: January 15, 2008

Blessed with continued good weather, the various contractors are making excellent progress. Exterior sheathing (bright yellow “GP” panels) has begun on the Learning Center, giving it an ever more “real” look. As the only large expansion of the existing building, it has been fascinating to watch it grow from the dirt.

On the roof, the insulation and water-tight membrane are nearly installed, with flashing and other finish details in the current works. When asked if the football field sized roof was really waterproof, the crew foreman replied with a grin, “Guaranteed!” The membrane, installed with 5 1/2” self-tapping screws and over-lapped seams, is a work of art. White, to reduce heat absorption, it’s as watertight as a pool liner. Poking out of the membrane are the various equipment supports, some of which are to support the solar panels.

On the second floor, the concrete slabs to fill in the stairwells and create the overhang on the new facade were poured by pump and are being finished today.

On the first floor, rough electrical is pretty much finished as well as rough plumping. I think I counted nine toilet drains in the women’s restroom. Life is good. The main electrical service was run from the outside through a trench cut into the concrete floor. It looks like it can carry a lot of juice.

The HVAC duct work is still being installed, a fairly complex piece of work. The installers were custom-fitting some of the massive returns as I photographed the work.

Interior sheetrock should begin to be installed as early as next week as the first floor begins to take shape.

On a side note, Tullie Circle, which will be the ingress to the new front of the building, has been repaved. It will give a brand new look to the street and entrance. Thanks, Atlanta.