Campus Community / People of SU

Seattle U in the News: Lara Branigan profiled in Blueprint

June 25, 2020

Seattle U in the News: Lara Branigan profiled in Blueprint

Blueprint, a trade journal for facilities professionals, featured a profile of Seattle U's Lara Branigan, director of design and construction, and her work on the new Center for Science and Innovation.

The challenges of overseeing construction of a new building and renovations of two existing ones amid a pandemic is the focus of a case study in Blueprint. Lara Branigan, director of design and construction, is profiled in the story

Here is an an excerpt from the story:

In spring 2019, the school began a long-planned expansion of its science buildings with both renovations and new construction. That all was planned to finish in time for the fall 2021 quarter.

Then construction took a back seat to public health as COVID-19 shut down the project for several weeks, and the pandemic has also required Branigan and her team to plan how to accommodate staff and students across campus when school resumes in the fall.

It’s hardly all in a day’s work, but Branigan faces her challenges with good humor.

“It’s been interesting to try and manage staff through all of this,” she says “One of the hallmarks of a good facilities manager is you always have plan B, or even C, D or E.”