This beautiful project, The North Carolinas A & T State University Deese Clock Tower, is named for benefactors Willie and Carol Deese. Mr. Deese is a former chair of A&T’s Board of Trustees and a graduate of the university’s School of Business and Economics. The tower, which blends traditional masonry using concrete, steel and glass with state-of-the art sound and LED lighting, is a monument to the Deeses’ gifts to the university.
W.C. Construction was awarded the $1.3 million-dollar contract in the summer of 2015. They were eager to get started on a project which would reflect historical greatness and combine detailed workmanship with a complex design, all while incorporating state of the art multi-faceted components.
This unique project’s foot print only takes up a 12 foot by 12 foot plot. However, the tower proudly stands 85 feet high, overlooking much of the college. It’s obvious to say that the Deese Clock Tower has become a monumental focal point to the community and the campus.
W.C. Construction started the job with a focus on saving the university money. It was through their use of value engineering that they could remove certain exterior finishes which would have added to the bottom line, yet would have been of little value to the overall project. The end result was a beautiful tower with several façade components which make up the building’s exterior finish, including cast in place concrete footings, a steel structural frame, glazed brick veneer, translucent glass, composite metal panels, and an LED clock mechanism.
Topping the tower is an amplified electronically simulated carillon system which provides rich sound quality that rivals even the best of church bells. The carillon housing also allows for wind to pass through, adding to the stability of the tower. And in true North Carolina A&T spirit, the tower’s lighting system illuminates in school colors of blue, gold, and white.
W.C. Construction Company was faced with several construction challenges while building this marvelous tower. Location was one of the biggest challenges, given the project constraints of being centered within the middle of campus with constant pedestrian traffic of students, faculty, and those just visiting the campus to watch the tower’s progress. The safety of this campus community was at the forefront of W. C. Construction’s every move.
This focus on safety was echoed by the mere fact that most work was done by crews stationed on equipment lifts or scaffolds -- keep in mind the clock tower’s height of 85 feet. The confinement of the jobsite location was another challenge. With a very rainy season at hand, rainwater had nowhere to drain. This resulted in having to dry out the site for several days each time it rained, in order to allow for the use of equipment lifts. However, even Mother Nature couldn’t rain on the tower’s parade: the project was completed in time for its dedication during the 125th Anniversary of NC A&T State University Founder’s Day celebration on March 24, 2016.
Given the scope of this project, there were zero issues with safety performance—no lost time and no safety violations. W.C. Construction attributes this to monitoring the project site daily as well as unannounced site visits throughout the duration of the project to measure safety precautions. And, with an original budget of $1.3 million dollars, the tower’s final budget came in under $1 million dollars.
University Chancellor Dr. Harold Martin praised the performance of the W.C. team for its dedication to the project and safety of the campus.
In the words of Willie Deese (which can be found engraved on the east side of the tower): “Look Back, Reach Back, Lift Up, and Always Lean Forward”.