Dental school building gets a refresh thanks to UW Facilities
Some of the UWF staff who worked on refreshing the building for the UW School of Dentistry. L-R: Michael Abrah, Craig Steiner, David Moimoi, Jose Zavala-Garcia, Scott O'Neal, Ken McMaster, Kellie Ann Dean, Kelly Murtha, Kevin Anderson, Charles Thompson, Peter Emery, Joel Pritsch, Val Garcia, Brandon Zahnow, Justino Mendoza, Dan Hargrave, Behaelbi Medhane, Julius Bello. Misty Shock Rule/University of Washington
Employees from more than 20 different groups and shops within UW Facilities worked together for several months to support the UW School of Dentistry as it sought reaccreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation. This lengthy process, required for the University to continue licensing dentists, takes place every seven years and culminates in a detailed on-site review.
To get ready for the inspection, which took place Nov. 19 through 22, UWF staff worked inside and outside the dental school building to refresh facilities:
Masons, painters, window washers and carpenters did work to make sure the external parts of the school, which is part of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center, were looking their best. Grounds staff, with the assistance of heavy equipment operators, cleaned outside areas including the school’s courtyard, which had become overgrown. The Sign Shop put the UW logo on walls to give them a special polish.
Inside the school, sheet metal mechanics refreshed the main set of doors, while electricians installed LED lights and relamped several rooms. Masons, carpenters and painters made sure the interior was up to date, and Regulated Materials staff tested walls and ceilings for asbestos and other hazardous materials.
Day shift and swing shift custodians and carpet cleaners came in last to clean the spaces.
The project amounted to a huge effort from staff across UWF. Custodial tasks and work done on the exterior of the building required overtime to get it done on time. Conversation with the school began about eight months before the inspection date. Given the scope of the work, schedules were adjusted and shuffled to ensure the work was completed on time.
"There were 15 to 20 shops involved and that translates to a couple of people per shop,” said project manager Ken McMaster. “So when you start doing the math, that's a large group of people."
Dr. Ernesto Ricardo Schwedhelm, associate dean of Infrastructure and Development for the School of Dentistry, said he appreciated how much work was done in a short amount of time.
"The meticulous attention to detail, unwavering commitment and seamless collaboration demonstrated by the team were key factors in the success of this endeavor," he wrote in an email addressed to UWF staff. "I am truly grateful for the extraordinary effort each of you contributed to ensure that the work was carried out to such exemplary standards."
Swing shift staff with the Building Services Department who worked on the refresh of the dental school building. L-R: Dylan Finchum, Jose Marquez, Zdzislaw Olejniczak, Pedro Borrayo Alatorre and Steve Lundgren. Misty Shock Rule
View from the school's courtyard, which was overhauled. Dr. Schwedhelm said that the painted walls with the UW logo was an example of where UWF staff went above and beyond what was asked of them. Misty Shock Rule
Painter Peter Emery paints a doorway a few days before the inspection. Misty Shock Rule
The D165 lab floors before and after they were stripped and waxed by custodians. Yang-Sook Choe/University of Washington
A conference room that was revamped. Staff painted the walls a brighter color, cleaned the carpets, washed the windows and relamped the lighting. Misty Shock Rule
Pictures of the main doors before and after they were refreshed by staff, who painted the doors and replaced wooden kick boards with stainless steel ones. Ken McMaster/University of Washington, Misty Shock Rule
