Page 5 - The Tech Teke

Vision Becoming Reality
Since our founding in 1948, one of the common threads of Beta-Pi’s
history has been the quest for a house that accurately reflects the
growth and stature of the chapter. Early on, we occupied a number of
rental properties, beginning on Plum Street followed by Williams and
4th Streets.
It was only in 1958 that we acquired the first pieces of our current
property on Fifth Street. This was followed by two more acquisitions
– the former Pike House in 1962 and the “Old Lady’s House” in 1977
which completed our current footprint. In the early 1970’s, we began
a construction program which continues today. We first built a twelve
unit apartment building. While not your typical fraternity house, it
was all we could get financed. In 1994, we completed construction
of the social quarters in time to rent our entire facility to the Olympic competition among potential lenders, we obtained our construction and
committee to serve as the home of the Irish National Olympic Team.
That complex served us well and was renovated and upgraded
several times until it became apparent that the housing facilities had
become functionally obsolete. We decided to “reimagine” our entire
concept of what a fraternity house should be. We were able to divide the
resulting design into two phases. We have just completed construction
of Phase 1 which has given us a four-story, 17,350 square foot building
housing 63 men. The key features of the first phase include two-
bedroom suites with shared baths, dedicated study rooms, increased
storage, and extensive wired and wireless Internet access.
We were determined to have a sustainable project and, toward
that end, we were able to reuse the foundations, retaining walls, and
the ground and second floors, and we selected long lasting and high
efficiency systems. The superstructure is built of steel and concrete,
and the entire building envelope is insulated with six inches of foam-
in-place insulation and equipped with thermally efficient vinyl Pella
windows. The heating and air conditioning system is a variable speed,
high efficiency Mitsubishi CITY MULTI system which redistributes
thermal energy to different parts of the building as required. All of
the plumbing fixtures are high efficiency and, to reduce water usage,
the hot water is constantly recirculated through the building from
high efficiency water heaters. The exteriors are finished with low
maintenance brick and cement based siding. And, through the foresight
and generosity of Frater Bob Bruninga, we even have three electric car
charging stations located on the wall facing the alley.
Phase II will be built similarly and will include more bed space -
taking us to space for 73 men plus the Resident Advisor. Additionally,
emphasis will be given to the social spaces to facilitate contemporary
college life and large fraternity gatherings. The ultimate buildout will
total over 38,000 square feet.
None of this would have been possible without a dedicated team
of volunteers and professionals. Early on we asked the undergraduates
to help us conceptualize a world-class facility. We received lots of
input and most of it was great. John Ganter, Eric Rodriquez, Reece
Minor, Keith Martini, and Matt Biggers were particularly helpful,
and the overall result was greatly improved by their involvement. The
professional design team worked hard to insure that we got a great
building on a tight budget. They include: Praxis 3-architecture; GW
Design Group-structural engineering; Greg Ferguson and Associates/
Rogers Mechanical-HVAC and plumbing engineering; Travis
Lastinger and Associates/Lewis Electrical-electrical engineering;
and Lancaster and Associates-civil engineering. And, after a spirited
permanent loans from State Bank and Trust Company, an institution
headed by Frater Joe Evans. The expert construction team at Merit
Construction Company reprised its role as general contractor (they
built the social quarters in 1994) and accomplished the near impossible
feat by executing a complex building program in the space of only
seven months.
But the real credit for getting this done goes to the alumni
serving on the Boards. The same team has been working on this since
2007. Beta-Pi has been blessed with nearly 65 years of continuously
successful operations. Most of that credit goes to the consistent and
thoughtful guidance provided by a double handful of dedicated Tekes
who have provided the leadership and vision to make a project like this
one possible. Credit has been given for the paid vendors/contractors
for their excellent work, but the real kudos go to our volunteer designer
and project manager, Fraters John Reagan ’71 and Gary Minor ’81.
In addition to the “planning years”, these guys have worked nearly full-
time over the last year to bring this project home. And though we’ve
only completed Phase I, it is an excellent piece of work. Please thank
both of them when you see them next!
So, it’s on to Phase II, which will begin when we have met our
fundraising goal and have the income to support the completion of
our next-generation facility. So, when you get the call to support the
project financially, please reflect on your great TKE House memories
and be as generous as possible!
• A pledge form is enclosed in this mailing. Please take a few
minutes and join our fellow Beta-Pi fraters who have stepped
forward!
• A list of current donors can be found on the reverse of the cover
letter.
• Remember, gifts greater than $25,000 are tax deductible through
the Georgia Tech Foundation. 5