Project Spotlight: IU Jacobs School of Music East Studio Building

If your travels take you to Bloomington, make sure to stop at the corner of Third Street and Jordan Avenue.  The Hagerman Group is currently constructing a new building for the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  Consistently ranked as one of the top schools of music in the country, this facility will give the school the additional space it desperately needs.  The 85,000 square-foot building will provide approximately 100 studio rooms, for use by faculty and students for teaching and practicing.

The building was initially designed to control vibration and sound from one studio space to the next.  The building’s columns and floors are constructed of concrete (performed by Hagerman’s Concrete division), and the shell consists of masonry block and limestone (performed by Hagerman’s Masonry division). Additional sound control details include floated wood subfloors, acoustical sealant and vibration isolation devices for mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment.

The sitework for the project takes into account that the building is located at one of the gateways to Indiana University’s campus, with a plaza at the corner of Third St. and Jordan Ave. When complete, this building will be a showcase piece for the Jacobs School of Music and Indiana University.  Those occupying the space are very much looking forward to taking possession of their new building in time for the new school year in the Fall of 2013.

North elevation of the building (June 2012)

Northeast elevation of the building (September 2012)

Southeast elevation of the structure (September 2012)

Plaza at the intersection of Third and Jordan (September 2012

Andy Saska | Project Manager



Oktoberfest at The Bangerts'

As the cool air develops at night and the smell of bonfires cloud the air, we can hear the sounds of high school football in the distance and we know fall is officially here.  Despite loving the summer for boating weather and winter for the hockey season, fall has a special place in my heart as well.

Each year, the Bangert family hosts an Oktoberfest party at our house to celebrate our German heritage, eat delicious German cuisine, imbibe in some German hops, and spend an evening with friends.  We ask everyone to dress up in German attire and spend most of the night outside warming ourselves by the fire.  We serve only German and Oktoberfest beer, bratwurst with special beer sauce, homemade German hot potato salad, sauerkraut, sauerkraut balls, pretzels, and of course, many hot and spicy mustards.  The menu is similar to the real Oktoberfest in Munich. In addition to the true German food, we have hours of traditional and modern polka music.

Similar to most other Oktoberfest celebrations our party falls in the month of September.  Why does October’s namesake party always seem to be observed in the month of September you ask?  Well for us it works well around hockey season, it’s still warm enough and stays light until 8pm, and most importantly it’s in the middle of the true Oktoberfest in Germany.  This year particularly, as we were outside and the harvest moon shined upon us, I heard a few different stories on what the true Oktoberfest [hosted in Munich Germany every year] is really celebrating and realized many people don’t realize the true inception of this now annual event.

The first iteration of what we now know as Oktoberfest was actually held on October 12, 1810 in honor of Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I in celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  The citizens of Munich attended the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.  Horse races that marked the close of the event were repeated in subsequent years giving rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.

The festival was eventually prolonged and moved ahead to September to allow for better weather conditions [one of the reasons our family hosts it the last Saturday of September].  Today, Oktoberfest is a 16-day (depending on the year 17-days or 18-days) festival taking place during the 16-days up to, and including, the first Sunday in October

The modern day Oktoberfest may be similar to we know as a State Fair with the festival celebrating the German traditions, agriculture, fair rides, parades, and their country’s breweries.

So now we know, every year, as Oktoberfest celebrations commence in cities and towns across the world, we are actually celebrating a wedding reception that took place over 200 years ago. I wonder why no one throws a party on my wedding anniversary every year?

Jay Bangert | Project Manager