Vanderbilt Beautification is a multi-year project started in 2017. Upon its completion, it will add over 8 acres of new walking green space around the Vanderbilt student groups neighborhood. The project involves a complete electrical and telecommunications refeed of all houses within the West End Neighborhood. Taking power from existing overhead lines and replacing it with underground utilities direct from the Vanderbilt main powerhouse. The project is also intended to feed Vanderbilt’s three new dorm projects. RC-A, which was recently changed to Zeppos College, and two further projects currently named RC-B and RC-C.

The beautification portion was completed in phase with infrastructure improvements which saw the removal of the existing overhead wooden power poles and paved parking lots between the student organization housing. Replacing the old structures with acres of green space, student outdoor lounging, and pedestrian lighting spanning the entire campus and consisting of 70+ additional decorative lighting poles throughout the campus.

The entire project required massive amounts of coordination between the University, its students and faculty, and the construction teams. Several construction activities had to be carefully worked around disturbances of students’ abilities to fulfill their academic goals due to construction noise and power interruptions. The project followed LEAN pull planning in order to give the university the amplest time possible to notify students and staff of impending interruptions due to construction.