BOSTON, MA  Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm providing comprehensive building programs across Boston, Massachusetts, announces that it completed two library projects for Boston College. Kaplan completed interior renovations at the Slide Library in Devlin Hall and a second round of renovations at O'Neill Library. The libraries remained open 24/7 during construction and Kaplan did much of its work after-hours to avoid disrupting students and staff.

"For the second summer in a row, Kaplan has delivered a fast-track renovation project on time, allowing us to accommodate students upon their return in September," said Cassius Moore, Associate Director for Annual Capital Projects at Boston College. "Kaplan did an exceptional job ensuring minimal impact on the staff and students who accessed the library over the summer months during construction."

O'Neill Library

Throughout the course of three months, Kaplan completed renovations at the Center for Teaching Excellence. Designed by Lavallee Brensinger Architects, the two-phase project answered the school's request for a well-located and attractive place for faculty to collaborate as well as to bring together staff members who were previously dispersed in different departments.

This summer, the interior renovations to a 5,400-square-foot area encompassed the overhaul of classroom space and the construction of a new circulation desk and associated administrative areas, including adjustable counters for accessibility and new soffits and lighting for improved visibility. Kaplan also converted existing classrooms into six training/testing areas and a media viewing room. Kaplan worked closely with Lavallee Brensinger Architects on this renovation.

Slide Library, Devlin Hall

Named for Rev. William J. Devlin, SJ, 15th president of Boston College, Devlin Hall is one of four buildings comprising the "Quad" in the Middle Campus. The Boston College Fine Arts Department Visual Resources Collection is a departmental collection of over 100,000 35-millimeter slides of works of art and a rapidly growing number of digital images. The Collection is used by Fine Arts Faculty for teaching purposes in Art History and Studio Art courses.

With a goal of creating a training room within the Slide Library, Kaplan shuffled library partitions to reconfigure the space, repositioned the slide storage units, created shelving units and renovated some offices. The 1,100-square-foot Slide Library has desktop computers for users as well as AV equipment, projectors and power/data for viewing slides from the collection.

BR+A Consulting Engineers provided mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering on both projects.