The Aston

Completed Spring 2008

GW’s 2007 Foggy Bottom Campus Plan includes a number of commitments made by the University to respond to community concerns. One of these commitments is a timeline for the transition of properties outside the campus plan boundaries to uses other than undergraduate residence halls by certain dates. Just as the Hall on Virginia Avenue (HOVA) was converted to graduate student housing in 2006, GW renovated the Aston (1129 New Hampshire Avenue, NW) during 2007-08 and transitioned its use to housing for law school students beginning in fall 2008. The Aston renovation project included extensive repairs and renovation to the existing life safety systems; replacement of the building’s elevators; renovation and/or replacement of HVAC systems, corridor light fixtures, exit doors and certain components of the electrical system.

Construction Updates

2008

August 11, 2008
Work finished on the sidewalk and curb improvements, including planting of trees and landscaping in the expanded tree box. GW Law School students began occupying the building on August 8. Further updates will be posted only if needed.

August 1, 2008
Renovation is nearing completion. Work is underway on the sidewalk and curb improvements and should be completed next week. Exterior window washing will also take place next week. Ambling Management has assumed responsibility for building operations. GW Law School students are scheduled to begin moving into the building on August 8.

July 25, 2008
Final furniture deliveries will finish next week and work will be underway on the sidewalk and curb improvements. Ambling Management will resume responsibility for building operations next week.

July 18, 2008
The Media and Multi Purpose Rooms are being completed this week and furniture installations will continue through the next two weeks. Final punch list items are being completed in the units and in the garage areas. Work on the exterior planters and curbs will begin on Monday pending receipt of Public Space permit and is expected to take 10 days.

July 14, 2008
The Aston is substantially complete with the new elevators, HVAC, electrical, fire alarm and sprinkler systems fully functional. The DC Government and Fire Marshall have inspected and approved all new installations. Contractors are working on the final punch list and Floor 1 Media Room. Work will begin on the exterior tree planters immediately following permit approval.

July 7, 2008
Renovations continue on schedule. Punch list work continues to progress throughout the building. Work continues in the Media Rooms and in the garage. Furniture installation will occur over the next two weeks. Exterior planter work will begin immediately following permit approval.

June 27, 2008
Renovations continue on schedule. The new HVAC and electrical system installations are complete as are new water service, fire pump and sprinkler systems. Punch list work continues to progress down from the upper floors. Work is continuing on Floor 1 Media Rooms and in the garage. The next weekly update (July 4, 2008) will be postponed to Monday July 7 due to the Independence Day holiday. No work is scheduled for July 4-6.

June 20, 2008
Renovations remain on schedule for July completion. The new fire alarm, water service, fire pump and sprinkler system are being completed this week and are expected to be on line next week. The contractor has begun punch list work on the upper floors which will continue throughout the building.

June 13, 2008
Renovations at the Aston are expected to be complete in July. The new HVAC system has been installed and is currently being tested and commissioned. The new water service, fire pump and sprinkler system will be complete next week. The new fire alarm system is being programmed and will be brought online over the next two weeks. Finishes are being completed on the upper floors. Drywall work in the Floor 1 Media and Multipurpose Rooms is being completed this week.

June 6, 2008
PEPCO completed the permanent power tie on May 31 and new electrical services are being energized this week. The HVAC systems are working and the new heat pump units are cooling the building. Finishes (including paint, carpet and cabinets) are being installed on the lower floors. Punch list and detail work has been started.

May 30, 2008
Painting and additional finishes continue throughout the building, carpet installation progresses to Floor 2 rooms and Floor 4 corridors. PEPCO to establish permanent power tie-in to new electrical units. Work continues on the Floor 1 common areas and in the main hallways and stairwells.

May 23, 2008
Painting and additional finishes continue throughout the building, carpet installation progresses to Floor 6 and cabinet installation to Floor 4. Work continues on the Floor 1 common areas and in the main hallways and stairwells.

May 16, 2008
Finishes, carpet, and cabinet installation continues throughout the building. Work progresses on Floor 1 common areas and in the main hallways and stairwells.

May 9, 2008
Finishes, carpet, and cabinet installation continues on the upper floors. Elevator car #1 is complete and being used for temporary service while car #2 replacement begins. Work has begun on the Floor 1 common areas and in the main hallways and stairwells. The new electrical service will be completed this week. Generator installation and work in the fire pump/boiler room are both nearing completion.

May 2, 2008
Finishes, carpet, and cabinets have been installed on floors 8 and 7 and will continue on floors 7 and 6 next week. Elevator car #1 is complete and ready for temporary use and the switch over to car #2 will occur this week. Work has begun on the floor 1 common areas and in the hallways on floors 10, 9 and 8. The new electrical service and fire pump are being installed this week in the garage level.

April 25, 2008
Finishes, carpet, and cabinets have been installed on floors 9 and 10 and will be installed on floors 7 and 8 next week. Preparation is underway for installation of an upgraded PEPCO electrical service next week. Next week’s schedule also includes installation of the garage fire suppression system and penthouse HVAC equipment.

April 18, 2008
The new boilers and other rooftop equipment have been set in place. The new electrical switchgear and equipment is being installed. Carpet and painting is ongoing with work progressing from floor 10 downward. Elevator car #1 will be ready for temporary service on May 1 to allow car #2 to be taken out of service for replacement.

April 11, 2008
Finishes, including cabinets and carpet, are being installed on floor 10 and will systematically progress to lower floors. New heating equipment is being installed in the boiler room. New electrical service equipment is being installed. The temporary outage of elevator service from 9 a.m. to Noon on Monday April 14 was postponed.

April 4, 2008
Final painting and carpet installation will take place on floors 9 and 10 this week while work continues on the lower floors with the installations of the electrical and fire alarm risers. A viewing of the model unit was held last week for prospective GW Law School students. There will be a temporary elevator outage 9 a.m. to Noon on Monday April 14 so a new smoke detector can be installed in the elevator.

March 28, 2008
Drywall, electrical and elevator work continues throughout the building. Work on Elevator #1 is 90% complete and anticipated to be operable by the week of April 21. Work is underway on a plan for landscaping in the areas adjacent to the building frontage. A temporary closure of the east side of the 1100 block of New Hampshire Avenue is tentatively scheduled for April 5 for crane installation. Due to a delivery on April 12, the elevator will be down for approximately 6 hours and residents will need to contact an on-site representative for elevator access.

March 21, 2008
Walls are being closed in on floors 9 and 10. Electric service cables are being run to new distribution panels on floors 7 and 8. Elevator #1 is anticipated to be operable the week of April 21. Boxes for fire control switches are being mounted in fire control room on floor 1. A model room will be completed for viewings by law school students in coming weeks. On April 5, a temporary closure of several hours in the street adjacent to building frontage (east side of the 1100 block of New Hampshire Avenue) is tentatively scheduled for crane installation.

March 14, 2008
Drywall stocking with boom truck will occur Saturday (March 15) and may require closure of sidewalk and one-lane of traffic at some times during the estimated four-hour process which will begin as early as 8:30 a.m. Looking ahead, a temporary closure of several hours in the street adjacent to building frontage (east side of the 1100 block of New Hampshire Avenue) is tentatively scheduled April 5, 2008 for crane installation.

Electric service cables are being run to new distribution panels on 9th and 10th floors. Drywall finishing is in progress on first floor mock up. Boiler Room pipe hangers being installed as well as sprinkler pipe tie-in down to 2nd floor.

March 7, 2008
Domestic Water and Gas outages completed last week with over 99 valves replaced. Elevator #1 demolition is being completed and the new cabs and motors have been delivered. Unit electrical panels are being installed and fire alarm installations continue through the middle floors. The garage electrical room is being built and the garage sprinkler system has been completed.

February 29, 2008
New sprinkler, HVAC and electrical installations are progressing through the 10th floor units. New water valves and water lines were installed February 27 and 28. Gas service riser valves were installed. Fire alarm devices were also installed on 10th floor.

February 22, 2008
New sprinkler, HVAC and electrical installations are progressing through the 4th floor units with one elevator remaining out of service as the replacement work continues. Several water leaks in the existing lines have been repaired with a domestic water outage planned for February 27 and 28 to install new valves and replace leaking water lines on the domestic riser system. Gas service will be shut off intermittently next week to allow for the disconnection of the existing services to all but the permanent residence units.

Aston January 18, 2008 Update is online here (.pdf)

Aston January 04, 2008 Update is online here (.pdf)

2007