What is the scope of the renovation?

Phase 1 of the renovation of Dabney Hall and the connected Cox Hall primarily includes the ground floor of Cox, the seventh and eighth floors of Dabney, and the roof of Dabney. The primary driver of the renovation is to provide the building with new HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning), electrical, back up generators, and life safety support systems, and bring it up to modern research standards. The top two floors of Dabney and the south side of the ground floor of Cox will be completely renovated with new materials and lab casework.

What floors are shut down, and why?

From very early in the planning process, the building committee determined that the sixth floor would serve as a buffer floor since access to the ceiling is necessary to complete the plumbing work on the seventh floor. This determination was part of the remediation plan submitted to and approved by Environmental Protection Agency. This also separates the occupants on lower floors from the active construction on the seventh and eighth floors in an effort to minimize impacts from construction, including noise, dust and construction traffic. The Department of Chemistry relocated all occupants from Dabney floors six, seven and eight, as well as labs on the ground floor of Cox, in the fall of 2025. Since then, those areas have been part of the construction site. 

The air handling system servicing Dabney’s upper floors (as well as south side of the ground floor of Cox) has been disconnected, isolating the occupants on the lower floors from Dabney floors six, seven and eight. The stairwells to the upper floors of Dabney remain in place for emergencies, but the construction workers use an external hoist to reach those floors. Card access has also been added to Dabney elevators to control who can reach the upper floors, and a barrier is in place on the sixth floor breezeway connecting Dabney to Cox. Work on the ground floor of Cox is behind the walls on the south side.

All occupants of and visitors to both Dabney and Cox are therefore physically separated from the work underway in the construction zones. 

What other safety precautions are in place?

Safety is always our top priority. Before any renovation commenced, the building materials were tested for the presence of hazardous materials. All testing to date has been done by a licensed external contractor, and those results are reviewed by NC State’s Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) team as well as the Department of Chemistry. The handling of hazardous materials is governed by existing EPA, OSHA and State Construction Office regulations and guidelines. The floors are under containment, meaning there is a physical barrier, the area is maintained under negative pressure, and the air is monitored for either asbestos or particulate matter (i.e. dust). Materials are removed via the external hoist and placed in the correct waste containers in the construction zone for delivery to facilities licensed to accept the waste. The workers have special certifications to work in this environment and go through a decontamination shower process before exiting the building via the external hoist.

Other safety aspects include appropriate signage and the set of temporary metal stairs from the ground floor to the second floor of Dabney so that we can provide quick egress in the event of an emergency. Building occupants, including all instructors who teach in Dabney and Cox, receive weekly emails to alert them to upcoming work and changes in site logistics. This communication also ensures that all occupants know who to contact should any problem arise that needs to be immediately addressed.

All construction activities are regularly discussed and reviewed by Facilities, EH&S, the College of Sciences, Metric, and the Department of Chemistry. All concerns are reviewed and appropriate actions are taken as needed.    

What’s the best way to stay updated on the project?

We are committed to providing safe spaces for teaching, research and administrative services in Dabney and Cox. Ongoing communication is important given the complexity of the renovation and as new students arrive on campus each semester. This website is updated regularly to reflect the latest information and site conditions.

If you have questions about the renovations, please contact Chemistry Department Head Reza Ghiladi at [email protected].