Faculty in the Physical Science Building have had complaints about recent work done in correlation with the energy projects on campus.

The complaints surround the lack of notification that faculty offices would be moved around, the lack of heat while working over break and “irresponsible” contractors, said Alan Baharlou, chair of the geology and geography department.

“All the concern is with the contractors,” Baharlou said. “They aren’t consumer friendly.”

Baharlou said he has received complaints from faculty about the way office furniture was rearranged when energy-efficient modifications were made by Honeywell Inc. to the building over winter break.

“They (department heads) are always the ones to get complaints,” Baharlou said.

However, Mary DiMarco, account executive for Honeywell Inc., said they have received “very few complaints” about the work being done in the Physical Science Building and said they tried to get work done with as low of a profile as possible.

“To get in and do what needed to be done, we had to disrupt their normal mode of work,” DiMarco said Tuesday. “We did everything we could not to.”

An on-site project manager handled any complaints that were made, and forwarded the information on to DiMarco and Gary Reed, the university’s superintendent of utilities. Weekly meetings were also held to discuss problems and complaints.

“It caused some commotion,” DiMarco said. “But, unfortunately it was necessary to get (the project) done.”

As much work as possible was done over break, but there was some work overlapping into the spring semester.

“We tried to do things after hours, when we would not disrupt anyone,” DiMarco said. “We didn’t want to disrupt the teaching environment.”

Baharlou said he was “confident” in the university after reporting complaints “so they knew and could remedy that for the future,” he said.

On Dec. 17 days after winter break began, a decision was made by Facilities Planning and Management to begin work on the Physical Science Building to install new lighting and chillers and replace steam traps.

Notices were sent out “right after break” and the work was intended to be done as soon as break was done, Strode said.

Baharlou said since the semester has started offices “to some extent are back to normal.”

Despite notices, Ellen Keiter, chemistry department chair, said professors were “disrupted only in a minor way.”

The last-minute decision was made because university movers were available and contractors were either on schedule or ahead with their other work on energy savings, Strode said.

Strode wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to finish the building over break “to avoid as much inconvenience as possible,” she said.

“It’s much less disruptive to do (work) then.”

The only work being done in the Physical Science Building now is in the mechanical equipment rooms, Strode said.

She said she also received complaints over break and sent people to fix the problem.

“The building has its own idiosyncrasies, a typical problem,” said Daniel Sheeran, assistant chemistry professor.

Strode said the heat was turned down over break, just like all other buildings on campus. Any complaints they received were addressed to make sure the heat was at an “allowable limit,” she said.

But Kenneth Osborne, faculty assistant of chemistry, said it felt like there was little to no heat at all in the building.

Barharlou said the low heat in the building was a concern, but faculty were more concerned about the rearrangement of furniture and other general inconveniences.

Honeywell Inc. was contracted last spring semester to complete $10.8 million worth of energy-efficient modifications on Eastern’s campus. The projects include installing energy-efficient light fixtures and air conditioners and water-conserving toilets, shower heads and faucets, among other improvements.

As a stipulation of the contract, if Eastern does not save $10.8 million in utility costs over the next 10 years as a result of Honeywell’s work then the company must pay back the difference.