Story

During the recent renovation of Western Michigan University’s Brown Hall, art students hung a massive 21-panel mural along the entire west side of the construction site. Measuring eight feet tall and more than 250 feet long, the creation depicted 10 famous authors and some of the words they’d written. Behind this façade of literary artwork, a different type of creativity was taking shape, one in which Allied Electric played an important role.

The three-story liberal arts building was undergoing complete rehabilitation resulting in new classrooms, lecture halls, and audio-visual labs, with a new multi-media center and large mechanical support space being added as well. Among Allied Electric’s responsibilities were a new substation, a complex dimming system, and auditorium lighting tied in to an AV package. One of the challenges, according to project manager Shannon Sullivan, was the need for a lot of tunnel work, as Allied’s electricians connected Brown Hall to other buildings on campus. Another challenge was an unusually high number of bulletins during construction. Additionally, recalls Sullivan, commissioning was intense, with many checks and balances as part of the LEED-certification process. Brown Hall serves the English, Spanish, Foreign Languages and Communications departments at WMU.