Ryan ChartrandThe University Union had a facelift this summer as its concrete “eyebrows” were removed from the exterior of the building for safety reasons.
The nonstructural elements designed to keep the building cool were deteriorating after years of wear and tear, officials said.
“They were part of the original design of the building meant to reduce solar heat gain, like blinds on a home,” said Brian French, project manager with Cal Poly’s facility services.
The “eyebrows,” or sunscreens, protruded about four feet from the walls of the building.
The packing grout around the objects experienced decay and was found to be structurally unsound. In the event of an earthquake, one of the sunscreens might have fallen and severely injured a passerby, officials said.
“We’re working on a plan to design a replacement for them,” French said.
The removal costs were about $175,000. Facility services has a budget of $200,000 for the replacements, French said.
Many staff members and students literally felt the heat after the sunscreens were taken down.
“The student government offices have been really hot since they were removed,” University Union Advisory Board Chair Nicole Stromsness said.
She added that the replacements are necessary to keep the cost of cooling down.
The type of replacement sunscreen has not been determined yet, but French said they will probably be replaced by next summer.
The two designs currently being considered as a substitute include concrete veneers or a metallic element, he said.
Every building on campus underwent evaluations by construction engineers about three years ago as part of a seismic survey. None of the buildings presently used by students and staff are seismically unsafe, said director of facility services Mark Hunter.
“We’ve had our buildings reviewed for seismic safety,” he said, adding that Crandall Gym was the only building closed for a retrofit.
A handful of buildings on campus such as the Clyde P. Fischer Science Building have sunscreens similar to those on the University Union building.
They are not the same type of shades and none project as far as the ones removed.
“The shades on the University Union were not part of the structural (necessity); they were just sunscreens failing over time,” French said.