Construction is underway for a project that will enhance the experience of students and faculty in the sciences at Bryn Mawr College, an undergraduate women’s college outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The College has a strong presence in the sciences, awarding STEM degrees to women at three times the national average. The upgrade will reflect the significance of the research, teaching, and other work happening within the College’s Park Science Center, and transform it into a hub for collaborative learning.
The project consists of a three-story addition that will be home to physics teaching labs and student social and study spaces. Within the existing building, a series of renovations will brighten corridors, provide new classrooms, and open up a more generous main entrance. In a move to enhance navigation within the building, our design team used fire-resistant glass entrances at the existing stairways that provide the added benefit of letting additional daylight into the corridors.
Most of the glass curtainwall that clads the addition is up and the installation of stone cladding at the base is underway. On the roof, new air handling equipment is set on new dunnage, waiting for zinc cladding. Construction is proceeding according to a carefully planned schedule which enables the building to remain operational throughout construction. The new spaces will be open for use for the next academic year.
"Constructing a sustainable living environment for our veterans is not only important for their overall health and well-being but is a gift to our planet. The Community Living Center uses energy-efficient technologies and will nurture the physical, mental, and emotional health of our veterans while dignifying their long-term care needs with a home that honors their sacrifice.”-- Secretary Jon Santiago
The combination of geothermal heating and cooling, a heat recovery system, a high performance building envelope, a 0.7-megawatt rooftop solar array and natural ventilation in all resident spaces yields a building that uses 71% less energy than allowed by code—and eliminates the use of fossil fuels during typical operation.
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