Weatherford College Vickie & Jerry Durant Hall

Weatherford, Texas

Expertise

  • Education

Services

  • civil engineering
  • structural engineering
  • landscape architecture
  • land surveying

Size

  • 57,000 SF

BHB provided comprehensive land surveying, civil and structural engineering, and landscape architecture services for Weatherford College’s Vickie & Jerry Durant Hall, a 57,000-square-foot, four-story residence hall dedicated to Honors Program students and athletes. This residence hall primarily features four-bedroom apartment-style units to accommodate 116 students. Each unit includes private bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a common living area, and a kitchenette.

The building, decked with high-end finishes throughout, also offers multiple shared laundry facilities, a grand two-story common area adorned with a large fireplace and antler chandeliers, flexible meeting spaces, three floors of athletic weight and cardio rooms, an open roof deck, and an expansive front lawn for gatherings.

BHB’s land surveying scope encompassed the building site, an adjacent creek area, and the existing baseball field parking lot, totaling approximately six acres. Given the heavily wooded nature of parts of the site, a tree survey was conducted to comply with the City of Weatherford’s tree mitigation criteria.

BHB was integral in determining the building’s location and preparing the site, securing approval for shared parking with the adjacent baseball field, and upgrading public infrastructure to serve the residence hall. The site features over 17 feet of vertical fall, positioning the building five feet below the adjacent street corner, with grading resulting in an eight-foot-high retaining wall near a local creek.

Significant early efforts focused on grading concepts, shifting building positions, and recalculating earthwork volumes to find a cost-effective compromise. Even with a planned storm drain system surrounding the structure, positive overflow routes were consistently monitored. BHB conducted a flood study to establish project limits that would not affect the nearby creek. By repurposing an existing stock pond into a detention pond, we demonstrated no negative downstream impacts, thereby preserving existing trees and reducing costs. A public twelve-inch water main was also extended to meet the hall’s water needs.

At the owner’s request, our structural team designed the building using conventional steel instead of cold-formed steel or wood, ensuring longevity. To maintain cohesion with the adjacent Coyote Village residence hall, we incorporated sloped roofs, overhangs, and eaves, which posed challenges due to varying roof heights. Additional steel supports and detailing were necessary to sustain the multistory glass feature on the north side of the building, achieving the desired aesthetic.

The architect specified a column-free design for the weight room, allowing cardio equipment to overlook the space. This requirement necessitated deep structural members, which presented challenges given the low floor-to-floor heights typical in dorms. BHB meticulously refined the design and coordinated structural requirements with MEP and other architectural elements, as long spans can lead to vibration issues, especially in cardio areas. Ultimately, this project exemplified a delicate balance between aesthetics, strength, and comfort.

Key People

  • Shannon L. Nave, PE, CFM

  • Edward Chadwick, PE

  • Ronald Ishmael, PE, LEED AP

  • Tom Kellogg, RLA