Final Beam Placed on TROSA’s New Dorm Building, McDonald Hall 

The structure of the newest dorm building on TROSA’s west campus (T-West) in Durham was completed during a beam “topping off” ceremony last Thursday.  

The newly constructed dorm building, McDonald Hall, is poised to assist TROSA in furthering their mission to empower individuals with substance use disorders to change their lives by providing their residents with comfortable, free housing while enrolled in their treatment program. The 17,517 square foot dormitory will house 90 residents and includes offices, study rooms, meeting spaces, restrooms with showers, and a connecting breezeway to the adjacent dining hall building and outdoor courtyard.  

Design work for this project began in 2022 and construction on the project began in 2023. The placement of the final beam, frequently celebrated with a “topping out ceremony,” is a long-standing construction tradition. Customarily, this ceremony occurs when the final structural beam is raised into place; however, some contractors prefer to celebrate when the highest beam on the structure is placed.  

Before the beam was raised into place, representatives from TROSA; CT Wilson, the contractor for the project; and MHAworks, the architect of record and interior design firm for the project, each signed the beam to “leave their permanent mark” on the building.  

“TROSA is an incredible organization, and we are proud to help them continue their mission by designing structures that house their various programs. We are excited to celebrate the progress of McDonald Hall and are thankful for CT Wilson for organizing this event for this important milestone,” said Jared Martinson, MHAworks Durham office director and senior project architect.