By Kimberlee Winterton
The Skyroom on the sixth floor of the Wilkinson Center undergoes reconstruction and receives a makeover of new windows.
“They are energy efficient windows which will help reduce energy costs in the building and they will provide a more comfortable environment for the Skyroom patrons,” said General Manager Paul Bringhurst of the Wilkinson Student Center Support Services.
The new windows are an upgrade to the restaurant, which planners hope will add satisfaction for the Skyroom guests.
“The reason we”re doing it is for heating and cooling efficiency,” said John Cowan, Construction Project Coordinator for BYU.
“The windows have a film in them,” he said. “There”s actually two layers of window with a solar band which helps keep the temperature stable in the room.”
In addition, the older windows needed to be removed.
“The windows had reached their life span,” said Kirk Rich, chef manager at the Skyroom Restaurant. “Whenever a project is purchased on campus, it is given a life. The old windows started fogging up.”
Project coordinators said they expect the project”s completion to occur by the end of the month, on schedule. The replacement began May 3. While the installation of windows might sound like a simple construction project, Cowan said the effort is intricate.
“It”s fairly complicated,” he said. “They use a swinging scaffold – it”s suspended to the roof by cables. It all has to be done from the outside.”
Construction workers have removed the old windows that weigh 700 lbs. each. The new ones are also double pane and weigh about the same, but they are installed in two pieces.
Skyroom patrons should notice a difference in the affect of the sunrays coming through the new windows if they go up to the restaurant at 11 a.m. or 5 p.m. on a sunny day, Bringhurst said.
“I think people will be pleased with the results,” he said.
Apparently, the typical life for the windows for inspection purposes is 25 years.
“It was a good time after so many years to change to these energy efficient windows,” Bringhurst said.
The construction has meant closing the Skyrooms” registers and a loss of income. Yet, of all the seasons to close its” doors, this has been a good time for Rich.
“I attended one pre-construction meeting and we determined the project would have the least affect on our business during the month of May,” Rich said.
Yet, the restaurant is not completely shutdown. Patrons may place orders to the Skyroom at 422-4107 or at the Skyroom”s Web site at www.byu.edu/skyroom. The Skyroom is also available for catering events.
