Spring Break
Pipes burst on fourth floor of Arjona
Christopher Duray
Issue date: 1/28/09 Section: News
Two water pipes in the Arjona humanities building burst Monday, causing no permanent damage but reminding occupants of the need to replace the building - a project still several years away.
Three classes were relocated to a different rooms after the pipes burst. Facilities Operations personnel were able to repair the pipes and classes returned to normal on Tuesday.
Representatives of Facilities Operations were unable to be contacted for comment about why the pipes burst and future repair plans.
Despite the fact that Arjona is one of the most-used buildings on campus, with rooms being used roughly 40 hours a week, the building, erected in 1959, frequently sees structural problems. This is the second water-related issue in the building within the last few weeks. During winter break, a roofing seam burst under the weight of accumulated rainwater, flooding journalism professor Robert Wyss' fourth-floor office and destroying 225 of his books.
A new structure was commissioned to replace Arjona and the less-damaged Monteith social science building using UConn 2000 funds, but the construction was delayed by arguments over placement, design and funding.
According to the most recent Capital Projects Planning Advisory Committee meeting, the building is set to be erected by December 2013.
University Registrar Jeffrey von Munkwitz-Smith, whose office is in charge of assigning classrooms, said that, even after the structure is created, Arjona and Monteith would continue to be used for an indefinite period of time, citing a lack of funds to destroy the buildings as well as the university's need for classroom space.
"Consultants last year warned us that the [classroom utilization rates] were dangerously high," von Munkwitz-Smith said. "If there is a problem, we don't have the capacity to respond. If we had to take buildings offline then it would become difficult to reschedule classes."
"There will always be a need for swing space as construction goes on," he said.
Von Munkwitz-Smith confirmed that more complete repairs to Arjona and the Family Studies buildings were scheduled for the fall, but until then, did not think it would be worth trying - if it were possible - to move even a handful of classes into a newer building.
"It probably wouldn't make a difference," he said. "If there was a particular room that was particularly bad it may be possible, but that all depends on which room and which class."
Until 2013 - at the earliest - students and professors have little choice other than trying and make due with the missing ceiling tiles and occasionally leaky roof of Arjona. Alex Koutunemko, 6th-semester environmental biology major said he understood the university's dilemma, but was steadfast in his want for a new set of classrooms.
"Arjona is defacing this campus with its very existence," he said.
Three classes were relocated to a different rooms after the pipes burst. Facilities Operations personnel were able to repair the pipes and classes returned to normal on Tuesday.
Representatives of Facilities Operations were unable to be contacted for comment about why the pipes burst and future repair plans.
Despite the fact that Arjona is one of the most-used buildings on campus, with rooms being used roughly 40 hours a week, the building, erected in 1959, frequently sees structural problems. This is the second water-related issue in the building within the last few weeks. During winter break, a roofing seam burst under the weight of accumulated rainwater, flooding journalism professor Robert Wyss' fourth-floor office and destroying 225 of his books.
A new structure was commissioned to replace Arjona and the less-damaged Monteith social science building using UConn 2000 funds, but the construction was delayed by arguments over placement, design and funding.
According to the most recent Capital Projects Planning Advisory Committee meeting, the building is set to be erected by December 2013.
University Registrar Jeffrey von Munkwitz-Smith, whose office is in charge of assigning classrooms, said that, even after the structure is created, Arjona and Monteith would continue to be used for an indefinite period of time, citing a lack of funds to destroy the buildings as well as the university's need for classroom space.
"Consultants last year warned us that the [classroom utilization rates] were dangerously high," von Munkwitz-Smith said. "If there is a problem, we don't have the capacity to respond. If we had to take buildings offline then it would become difficult to reschedule classes."
"There will always be a need for swing space as construction goes on," he said.
Von Munkwitz-Smith confirmed that more complete repairs to Arjona and the Family Studies buildings were scheduled for the fall, but until then, did not think it would be worth trying - if it were possible - to move even a handful of classes into a newer building.
"It probably wouldn't make a difference," he said. "If there was a particular room that was particularly bad it may be possible, but that all depends on which room and which class."
Until 2013 - at the earliest - students and professors have little choice other than trying and make due with the missing ceiling tiles and occasionally leaky roof of Arjona. Alex Koutunemko, 6th-semester environmental biology major said he understood the university's dilemma, but was steadfast in his want for a new set of classrooms.
"Arjona is defacing this campus with its very existence," he said.
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