When Allen Lowry, campus project manager for the North and South halls renovation, came across an old picture of people sitting on the steps of one of those very same buildings, his construction team had an inspiration.
Why not celebrate the successful renovation project by recreating the photo?
And so you see two pictures here: 
the original taken sometime in the 1920s of students hanging
out on the steps of South Hall and one taken this June of the "East
Quad Partnering Group," a bonded bunch that includes designers, engineers,
architects, builders, a tenant representative and a computer resource specialist.
The picture commemorates what good friends members of the group became while renovating the campus halls. Both opened last month.
To recreate the old picture, Janet Andersen of Design Services found hats similar to those in the original picture. The contractor, Roebbelen Construction Inc., threw in shirts, a symbol of the group's teamwork.
The renovation project has been accomplished over the past year while meeting 10 goals set by the contractor, the architect and the university partners. The group pledged to finish the project with no accidents, maintain high-quality design and construction work, make timely and informed decisions, remain friends, "play nice" as it proceeded through the construction process, be realistic about presenting issues and problems, be proud of the project, meet periodically to reaffirm the goal, and to have fun.
This concept of "partnering" that emphasizes good will and a formal predetermined process of communication has been used for more than a decade in the construction business, says Campus Architect Bob Strand. It's been employed at UC Davis for about five years.
Although Strand was at first skeptical that such a formal process could dismantle the non-productive posturing often exercised by companies and agencies to defend their financial interests, he says he has been surprised.
"We've felt a real improvement when we formally communicate," he said. "It also helps informal communication."
Kate Scott of Design Services, who has been working on construction projects for 16 years, also likes the idea. She reported that the North and South hall projects went very smoothly, despite the complexity and deadlines.
Monthly meetings to iron out problems and socialize over brown-bag lunches were important to meeting the partnering goals, Scott said. At one memorable meeting, the contractors barbecued hamburgers for the group.
The project was complicated by two design criteria. First, the campus historical landmarks needed to be made earthquake-resistant. Secondly, the campus wanted to restore period architectural details that had been "sterilized" through remodelings over the decades, says Architects and Engineers' Lowry.
He scoured the library archives to find original architectural details of the buildings that had been built in 1908 (North Hall) and 1912 (South Hall). A spectacular dividend from Lowry's research is the re-installment of a double-ascending oak stairway in the foyer of North Hall.
Roebbelen job superintendent Joe Deaser says, while he has been involved in the partnering concept for 10 to 15 years for various projects, mostly he has signed standard agreements with predetermined goals about staying within budget and meeting deadlines.
But this partnering project was special.
"We wrote our own goals--and then we met them," Deaser said. "This was a great bunch of people--real professionals--and the chemistry was really good."
From the university's point of view, the North and South halls project was a very successful effort.
"Everybody met their part of the bargain, and this particular partnering project worked out the best that one has ever worked for me," project manager Lowry said.
(For 1996 photo--Tony Noveloso/Axiom Photo)
