ECU Student Center Honored with CAGC Construction Excellence Award

The joint venture team of TA Loving/Barnhill Contracting Company was honored with a Carolinas Associated General Contractors Construction Excellence Award for their work on the East Carolina University Student Union project in Greenville, NC. The award was presented during the CAGC Annual Conference on Saturday, January 25, 2020 in Aruba and recognizes projects that illustrate best practice and excellence of craft in the construction industry.

East Carolina University’s Main Campus Student Center encompasses 214,000 SF and serves as the premier focal point for both the campus and community. The Student Center blends key elements that represent the people and industries of Eastern North Carolina, the City of Greenville, and ECU Pirate traditions.

Intended as a venue for cultural, educational, arts, recreation and hospitality, design partners Perkins & Will integrated eclectic ideas directly from current students into the design. Spaces for culture and community, common areas for connecting and collaboration, dining facilities and connector links from dorm to the main facility were all deemed as top priorities.

The Student Center is home to the Dowdy Student Store, Black Box Theater, Grand Ballroom, six dining options (including Starbucks) as well as the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center, Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center, Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement, Office of Greek Life, Women & Gender Office and space for the Student Government Association, student activities and organizations. University broadcasted events and athletics can now be enjoyed on the 42-foot wide “Pirate Vision” LCD outdoor screen located on the north side of the building.

In conjunction with the Student Center, TA Loving/Barnhill constructed a central energy plant and parking deck. Intended to support future growth and enrollment, the post-tensioned, cast-in-place concrete parking deck features 724 spaces and is the University’s first, on-campus parking deck. Featuring multiple sustainable products and systems, the project is pending LEED Silver by the US Green Building Council.