University of Nebraska – Omaha recently renovated and added an addition to their Strauss Performing Arts Center, and Eyman Heating, Plumbing & Air had an integral role in this project. Working with the Whites Company and several contractors, Eyman handled the plumbing for the renovation and addition to the building. This project was especially unique and challenging because of one major concern: the building’s acoustics. Because this building is a performing arts center, the acoustics of the building are paramount.
“They had concerns that the sounds of the plumbing system would interfere with the sounds of the performances or the recording studios, and a lot of concerns that music produced in one space of the building couldn’t be transferred through the walls, piping and electrical to another area of the building,” explained Karli Meisinger, construction manager for Eyman. Because of these concerns, many areas ended up with special features such as floating walls and floating floors. An acoustical engineer was even used throughout the project to ensure all of the updates complied with UNO’s needs.
UNO chose to update the building because it had simply become too outdated. It had not been built with modern acoustical considerations in mind. Many other areas were becoming noticeably outdated as well, such as having uncooled drinking fountains and galvanized piping. In addition to changing the look of the building, the caliber of the building was also upgraded.
The different contractors worked together to create Building Information Modeling (BIM) for the project before they started any work on the building. The BIM allowed the client to see a digital model of the building prior to the actual construction, eliminating potential misunderstandings.
Eyman was able to excel in this project for two reasons. As an organization, Eyman is familiar with UNO and has worked with them in the past. Because of this close relationship, Eyman was able to deliver exactly what UNO was expecting.
Eyman is also a company that does not shy away from innovation. In taking on unique and challenging projects, Eyman is able to learn new ways of doing things and use that innovation in future projects.
