WHAT
“Topping Off” celebration for the new University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Science & Engineering Building will feature a ceremonial signing of the final structural steel beam by UCCS staff and faculty. GH Phipps Construction workers will then raise the beam, secured with a ceremonial pine tree and American flag.
Following the “Topping Off,” the pine tree will be removed for later planting on the construction site and the American flag will remain atop the beam and illuminated at night until construction is finished.
A “Topping Off” ceremony is a tradition started in 700 A.D. in Scandinavia. It is believed that placing a pine tree at the top of new construction would ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. In modern times, the pine tree has been accompanied by an American flag. Today this gesture is a symbol of team work, high-quality craftsmanship and luck for the future.
WHEN:
Friday, April 4, 2008. The festivities will begin at 9:30 a.m., when UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak and GH Phipps Superintendent Chuck Silva will speak. The final beam will be raised shortly before 10 a.m.
WHERE:
Event tent near the construction site, which is located west of the UCCS El Pomar Center.
ABOUT THE NEW BUILDING:
UCCS broke ground for its new Science & Engineering building in July 2006 and expects to move in during summer of 2009. The new building will create a complex that significantly expands the current science and engineering capabilities of the campus; there will be additional research space and improved science lab space. In total, the new complex will have about 160,000 square feet, including numerous innovative classrooms and teaching labs (37 spaces), research labs for science, engineering and computer technology (34 spaces) and faculty and staff offices (79 spaces). It will be the largest building on the UCCS campus. And, the building is also registered to become LEED certified.
For additional facts about the new building, or to view renderings and photos, please visit: http://www.uccs.edu/~scieng/
MEDIA PARKING:
Marked media vehicles do not need a parking pass. Drivers of unmarked media vehicles should call Tom Hutton, (719) 351-6519, or Allison Swickard-Gorman, (719) 331-2003, to make arrangements for parking.
ABOUT UCCS:
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,700 students.