F&D Year End Deadlines

• August 6th, 2019
• in News

It’s that time of year again, and the end of the fiscal year is approaching quickly. In order to allow enough time to fully design the furniture within the requested space, all Design Request Forms (DRFs) that are year-end specific must be submitted to the F&D office no later than end of business day, August 16, 2019. You can find this form at http://furnishingsanddesign.ua.edu/design-request-form/.

Please understand that these deadlines are in place to ensure that proper time and attention can be given to each space on campus. F&D strives to provide excellent customer service throughout the year, and especially at year end as everyone is trying to finish up their year-end projects. We look forward to hearing from you!

We’re Moving

• May 1st, 2019
• in News

Furnishings and Design and Contract Administration will be the final divisions of Procurement Services moving to the University Services Campus in early June. Both departments will occupy Building 1021 at 405 Cahaba Circle, formerly Cottage 3 on the USC campus. See the map below for the exact location.

It will be the first time for Furnishings and Design that the entire business and design teams, Upholstery Shop, and Chair Lab will be housed under the same roof. To allow time to move the Upholstery equipment, the shop will be down from May 31-June 11. The employees will physically move to the new space June 6, 7, 10 and 11. Please contact them via email during this time. They will do their best to respond in a timely manner.

Contract Administration employees will move on June 7 and begin holding bid openings and other meetings in the new location later in the month. If you plan to attend any bid openings or prebid meetings, please confirm the location prior to the meeting. You can do so by checking the bid documents, contacting your Construction Administration project manager, or emailing Dan Rodgers at drodgers@fa.ua.edu or Leigh Ann Huguley at lhuguley@fa.ua.edu.

Please join us in welcoming Furnishings and Design and Contract Administration to the University Services Campus.

Plans for the Summer?

• April 1st, 2019
• in News

Unlike residential furniture, commercial furniture is made to specification based on the clients’ needs and as a result, typically takes 6-8 weeks to be manufactured. In addition, shipping as well as scheduling the delivery and installation can also take a couple of weeks from the time the furniture is completed. Another factor to consider is the design time it takes one of our interior designers to help pick the furniture that best fits your needs. All of this to say, if you are planning to have new furniture installed this summer, be sure to fill out your Design Request Form today!

Amelia Gorgas Collection

• March 8th, 2019
• in News

The UA Upholstery Department was recently charged with restoring some furniture from the Amelia Gorgas Collection. Outstanding work from Susan, Stephanie and Brian to return the sofa and kneeling bench from the 1840’s to their original glory. Be sure to stop by the Gorgas House Museum to see these incredible pieces. What can the UA Upholstery Shop do for you?

• February 7th, 2019
• in News

The University Services Campus has been rapidly developing over the past couple of years, which we are excited to have been and continue to be a part of. Looking back on 2018, there have been several departments that have joined in occupying this area. Earlier in the year, Automotive Services relocated to their new, larger facility. The new garage provides more space for automotive repairs, as well as its own customer service area that used to live in the center of the shop. Over the summer, the Human Resources Administration Building and Employee Resource Center moved into their permanent homes at the center of the Services Campus. The Administration Building consists of departments like Payroll and Benefits, while the Resource Center hosts trainings for campus employees that fall under Learning and Development.

Toward the end of the year, OIT Operations completed their move from main campus. As we approach the new year, there are more exciting moves and developments underway. In March, Environmental Health and Safety is slated to move into their new space at Cottage 7 next to OIT. Closer to the summer, Cottage 3 will be occupied by the final departments of Procurement Services to move to the Services Campus. Contract Administration, Furnishings and Design, and the Upholstery Shop will all be under one roof. This is the first time that F&D and the Upholstery Shop have ever been in the same building. Cottages 1 and 4 are still in the planning phases for the University Architects and Construction Administration to complete the campus. 2018 was a great year and 2019 is going to bring even more life to the University Services Campus.

Lakeside Dining Hall Renovation

• January 23rd, 2019
• in News

Furnishings and Design Year End Information

• July 5th, 2018
• in News

It is hard to believe but the end of the fiscal year is quickly approaching, once again. To allow our designers and upholsterers enough time to meet the end of year demand and meet our clients’ expectations and timelines, all FY18 specific Design Request Forms (DRFs) must be submitted to the F&D office no later than August 8 to allow appropriate time to design and quote or re-upholster. Requests received after this date will run the risk of not meeting campus wide year-end dates.

F&D aims to provide exceptional customer service throughout the year, and especially at year-end! Please do not hesitate to call or email if you have questions. Our main number is 8-6508 and our general email is furnishings@ua.edu.

Upholstery Projects – Get a Jump on the Competition!

• May 3rd, 2018
• in News

Many of you already know what a talented upholstery team we have here at UA. From making office furniture look like new again, to replacing the ripped vinyl on your favorite piece of gym equipment, to revamping the waiting room area at the medical clinic, there’s not much here on campus that our team can’t handle. What you may not know is that as classes wind down for the summer, the demand for upholstery projects heats up.

If you’ve been considering submitting an upholstery project and would like it completed this summer, the time to act is now. Submit a Design Request Form today and let our team help you pick that perfect pattern to help make your office furniture the envy of all your peers!

What’s that? You’d love to make that outdated furniture look like new again, but it’s just not in your budget this year? Don’t despair, fill out that Design Request Form anyway and let us show you some of the many surplus fabrics we have on hand that are free to a good home.

Still not sure if an upholstery project is right for you? Still not sure how the process works? Give us a call at 348-6508 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Submitting a Design Request Form

• April 9th, 2018
• in News

To submit a Design Request Form, visit our F&D website at the following link – Furnishings and Design Website.  Once there, click on the Design Request Form link in the lower left-hand corner and fill out the electronic DRF accordingly.  Be sure to fill in all the sections with red asterisks in order to ensure a successful submission.  Once that’s complete, click the Submit button at the bottom of the page and you will immediately see a confirmation screen confirming the successful submission of your design request.  If you have any technical issues during this process, please try accessing our site using a different browser.  Once your submission is received by F&D, your project will be assigned based on staffing availability, which could take up to a few weeks.  After your project is assigned, your department will be contacted by the designated designer.  If you have any questions or need any help throughout this process, please call our team at 348-6508.

Plans for the summer?

• March 1st, 2018
• in News

It is that time of year again, when the weather starts getting warmer and everyone starts making plans for their summer vacations. Seasoned travelers will tell you that to maximize the fun and reduce the risk of your plans not coming together as you hoped, it is best to start planning early. The same good advice can be applied to summer office moves and furniture purchases. As the students are finishing up their finals and heading out of town for the summer, that’s when campus construction, and all the furniture purchases that go with it, hit full stride based on months of prior planning and coordination.

Unlike residential furniture, commercial furniture is made to specification based on the clients’ needs and as a result, typically takes 8 weeks to be manufactured. In addition, due to the high furniture volume during the summer months, scheduling the delivery and installation can also take a couple of weeks from the time the furniture is manufactured. Now factor in a couple of weeks on the front end for one of our talented interior designers to help you pick out the furniture that works best for your needs and you can see how this process can easily exceed three months.

So if you are planning an office face-lift or redesign of furniture for this summer, be sure to fill out your Design Request Form before March 9, 2018 to receive priority.