WELLESLEY, Mass.—Shawmut Design and Construction has broken ground on the new Hardy Elementary School in Wellesley. Replacing a century-old facility, the new building will create a purpose-built, net-zero-ready, next-generation school designed with a focus on innovative learning for students across grades K-5.

In partnership with design architect SMMA, owner’s project manager Vertex, and the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the $72.5M project is designed for an enrollment of 365 students, with the flexibility for space to be reconfigured. The first floor will include a gymnasium, media center, STEAM lab, and cafetorium as well as administration areas and three neighborhood classroom clusters. The upper floor will feature additional classroom clusters, music and art rooms as well as specialized spaces for Wellesley Public School’s Skills Program for students with autism spectrum disorders and related challenges.

“Each time we break ground on a new school, we realize the lasting impact the finished project will have on the community, and most importantly the students and faculty,” said Ryan Lynch, vice president of education for Shawmut Design and Construction’s New England region. “Tapping into decades of experience building leading-edge schools across the region, our team is energized to create an innovative, sustainable facility that will inspire young students and contribute to the Wellesley community for generations to come.”

Outdoor improvements will include new playgrounds, soccer field, approximately 110 parking spaces on-site, and optimization of traffic route. The building is being designed to be net zero ready, including an all-electric mechanical system and capacity for roof photovoltaic panels.

The project is aiming for completion in fall of 2024.

The post Wellesley Breaks Ground on Innovative New Elementary School appeared first on School Construction News.

LOS ANGELES—Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, a multipurpose school and community service organization in Culver City that helps underserved children in the western Los Angeles area, has added a new performing arts center to its campus.

The Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center is a 300-seat theater named for donor Glorya Kaufman, a local fan of dance and philanthropist who provided funding for the project. The facility will be utilized to host dance performances, musical events, plays as well as various other events for the school and surrounding community. Furthermore, the arts center will now be home to the school’s therapeutic performing arts programs.

AUX Architecture’s design aesthetic features a recyclable, polycarbonate material that is meant to harness as much natural light as possible, both for illumination as well as for insulating the building itself. On the interior, a pattern of light and shadow is produced thanks to the interaction of a series of rhythmic columns. This lighting design is meant to be less upsetting to students with autism, who can be especially sensitive to overly stimulating visuals.

Additional interior features of the performing arts complex include production support areas, rehearsal space, dressing rooms and classrooms.

The Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center, designed by AUX Architecture, was constructed by general contractor Shawmut Design and Construction, both of which are native to Southern California.

“Designed to express music and dance, our goal was to support Vista Del Mar programming while creating a transformative project for the campus as it evolves,” Brian Wickersham, founding partner and design director at AUX Architecture, said in a recent statement. “We created a new gathering space, not just for Vista, but for the Los Angeles community, and by wrapping the existing building in translucent polycarbonate, we preserved the campus’s temple while also completely revitalizing it.

“Our hope is for the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center to become the heart for both the campus and community by enhancing not only the students’ learning experiences but Vista’s visibility and relationship to this neighborhood.”

Added Greg Skalaski, executive vice president for the western region for Shawmut Design and Construction: “As a company, we build spaces that educate, entertain, and heal—and the new Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center accomplishes all of that. The space not only provides students of all abilities with a wonderful resource and space for learning and flourishing, but continues to serve as a gathering place for the greater community.”

Craig Prizant, Vista Del Mar’s chief development and marketing officer, said that the arts have never been more important than when the country continues to work its way out from under the covid-19 pandemic.

“In our brand-new performing arts center, Vista children and families will have every opportunity to make the journey from surviving to thriving as they participate in our cutting-edge therapeutic dance, music, theater and other programs,” he said. “We’re so grateful to visionary philanthropist Glorya Kaufman for investing in our children’s futures.”

The post Expansion at West L.A. School Adds New Arts Center appeared first on School Construction News.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Shawmut Design and Construction recently celebrated a virtual topping-off ceremony of Brown University’s under-construction Performing Arts Center at 130 Angell Street in Providence. The project began in 2019 and is slated to be completed in spring 2023; it is anticipated to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver certification.

Shawmut, in partnership with internationally acclaimed architecture firm REX, is completing the state-of-the-art, 94,000-square-foot complex that will anchor a future campus arts district and expand the possibilities for the creation and staging of experimental, collaborative, and engaged performance work. With an unparalleled approach to spatial, acoustic, and technical flexibility, the Performing Arts Center will feature a dynamic main performance hall, a central lobby and promenade as well as customizable spaces to create, rehearse and perform.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Brown University and create a building that will push the boundaries of innovation in performance spaces across the globe,” said Ron Simoneau, executive vice president of education at Shawmut. “Through an innovative and collaborative project delivery, we’re building a facility that is technologically sophisticated, highly flexible and one-of-a-kind in higher education.”

Designed to offer unmatched flexibility, the building’s main performance hall will be able to transform into any of five vastly different stage and audience configurations — ranging from a 625-seat symphony orchestra hall to a 250-seat proscenium theater to an immersive surround-sound cube for experimental media performance. The shoebox-shaped hall can modulate physically and acoustically and will feature components such as seating gantries, acoustic curtains, reflector panels and lighting bridges that can be shifted, hidden and stretched to configure the space. With the capability to move walls, floors, seats, ceiling and lights, the Performing Arts Center will become an ultra-adaptable hub for Brown and surrounding communities.

On its exterior, the building will feature an aluminum rainscreen that will appear to shift in color and pattern with seasonal changes and time of day. Inside, the Diana Nelson and John Atwater Lobby will create a central convening space that sits within the building’s horizontal clearstory, slicing through the façade at stage level to enable performances, rehearsals and arts scholarship to extend into the Brown campus and surrounding neighborhood. Below street level, the complex will offer spaces for theater, music and dance that will enable students and faculty to create cutting-edge, original artwork and include areas for student groups and other collaborative activities.

“We’re here to recognize the hard work underway each and every day by the teams of dedicated professionals who support this project,” said Brown University President Christina H. Paxson at the virtual event on December 10. “This celebration is about all of you…especially all of the skilled men and women who are quite literally bringing this remarkable vision to life.”

Work on the Performing Arts Center has been able to continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on the firm’s world-class safety program, Shawmut has deployed enhanced safety protocols to mitigate the risk of infectious disease spread across all jobsites — rolling out new procedures, jobsite innovation and an exhaustive COVID-19 risk assessment and response plan nationwide. These protocols are implemented at the project site and include Shawmut Vitals — a custom technology platform which allows team members to self-certify daily health screenings by scanning a job-specific QR code and completing a health survey.

To optimize efficiency, the project is utilizing Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) — an approach that brings the university, Shawmut, REX and subcontractor teams together to execute all phases of the project, resulting in an effective and highly collaborative planning, design and building process.

Shawmut Design and Construction is a $1.5 billion construction management firm with offices located in Boston, Providence, New York, Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Irvine, Calif.

The post Brown Makes Progress on Innovative New Performing Arts Center appeared first on School Construction News.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Shawmut Design and Construction recently celebrated a virtual topping-off ceremony of Brown University’s under-construction wellness center and residence hall at 450 Brook Street in Providence, which is expected to be open in time for the university’s fall 2021 semester.

Shawmut, in partnership with William Rawn Associates, is completing the center that will mark the first new building in the university’s housing portfolio in 30 years. The facility will bring together Brown services and programs instrumental to students’ physical and emotional well-being—including Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Brown Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and BWell, the university’s health promotion program. The center will also include a 162-bed residence hall on the upper floors to create a unique community of students who are committed to developing and sustaining healthy lifestyles and promoting the well-being of the Brown community and beyond.

The project, which is part of the Brown/Shawmut Strategic Sourcing Program, is designed to LEED v4 Silver standards, using FitWel and Well certification systems as guidelines for the overall approach. This holistic approach to wellness translates directly into the building’s sustainable materials. Most prominently, the building features an innovative hybrid system of steel framing and cross-laminated timber (CLT), a carbon-negative material that promotes the use of renewable and environmentally sensitive resources, carefully managed forestry, and building technology that is meant to last.

When complete, the center will include a residence hall on the upper floors, including single bedrooms as well as several four-person suites—all with optimum views of the adjacent Pembroke Field. On the lower levels, the co-located student services include clinical areas, a counseling and psychological services team whose offices are arranged around a viewing garden, a health promotion center, and the student-led EMS department.

The interior environment of the building is infused with the same commitment to sustainability through its exposed CLT. The natural wood ceilings and a visible wood deck will present warm, natural material to students and faculty and amplify access to nature and daylight. In addition to strategies for natural ventilation in bedrooms for indoor air quality, the building will also be equipped with energy recovery technology on mechanical systems. All building systems are electric, which is a result of the university’s pledge to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040.

To date, the project has stayed on schedule as Shawmut has deployed enhanced safety protocols to minimize potential coronavirus risk across all jobsites. The firm has rolled out new procedures, new job-site innovation, and an exhaustive COVID-19 risk assessment and response plan across the country.

The post Brown University Tops Off Wellness and Residence Hall Venue appeared first on School Construction News.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.— Renovations at 164 Angell Street, a Brown University building in Providence—formerly known as the Brown Office Building—have been completed.

Shawmut Design and Construction, a construction management firm based in Providence, and with locations across the country, was the general contractor on this approximately $25 million project. Done in partnership with the Architecture Research Office, work included gutting the second, third and fourth floors of the 1970 building and transforming the space into a vibrant multidisciplinary hub.

“Our team was honored to revitalize such an important Brown University building to create a contemporary, state-of-the-art space for interrelated academic groups,” said Ron Simoneau, vice president at Shawmut.

“Our long-standing partnership with Brown University resulted in a coordinated approach that upholds the original design of 164 Angell Street, while promoting greater synergies and opportunities for collaboration.”

The nearly 50-year-old building had been characterized by its narrow and dark interiors, but is now highlighted by a design that focuses on natural light.

The renovated space includes state-of-the-art conference rooms with updated technology and video conference capabilities. The building’s systems and structure were overhauled, including the replacement of approximately 40 percent of the precast façade with curtainwall, new mechanical, engineering and plumbing systems, as well as elevator systems, and an updated enclosed lobby space off Angell Street.

Not only did the extensive renovation improve the interior design and work environment for its occupants, but several centers, institutes and departments are able to move into the same building. 164 Angell Street now houses these entities from across the Brown campus: the Carney Institute for Brain Science, the Center for Computational Molecular Biology, the Data Science Initiative, the Department of Education, and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.

The Brown Bookstore, located on the ground, mezzanine and basement floors remained operational throughout the project, requiring careful planning and coordination.

The post Major Renovation Completed at Brown University appeared first on School Construction News.

BILLERICA, Mass.—The new Billerica Memorial High School is now open, a sign of the town’s reaffirmed commitment to educating its students in an innovative, healthy and flexible environment. The project is the result of a partnership between the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the town of Billerica, design firm Perkins and Will, construction manager Shawmut Design and Construction, and project manager Leftfield.

“As a community, this is a space that we all should be proud of,” says Billerica Schools Superintendent, Timothy Piwowar. “We’ve equipped our students with a facility that will allow them to best prepare for their future, helping Billerica to become a top-tier destination for education in the Merrimack Valley.”

“The new Billerica Memorial High School will stand as an extraordinary vessel of learning for many future generations,” says Billerica Town Manager John Curran. “Anyone who walks through this building will know that the people and the educators in this town place a high value on a first-rate education for their children.”

The design of the new school supports Billerica’s diverse and forward-looking educational program through a flexible planning and design approach. Highly specialized areas—like the auditorium and STEAM spaces—are complemented by agile classrooms and informal learning areas that can be easily modified to meet different user needs.

“We wanted to equip Billerica’s students, teachers, and administrators with a space that will support evolving educational models well into the future,” says Brooke Trivas, principal at Perkins and Will. “Flexible classrooms and interdisciplinary spaces allow students to develop skills like communication and collaboration, while providing teachers and administrators the freedom to grow and expand their teaching styles.”

The high school serves more than 1,600 students in grades 8-12 and houses a 200-student Pre-K program. Academic programs offered here include nationally recognized robotics teams, an award-winning drama department, and a business and entrepreneurship club that competes internationally. The school also accommodates district administrative offices.

The post Massachusetts Welcomes Innovative New High School appeared first on School Construction News.

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Yale School of Nursing students will now gain real life experience with the school’s new high-tech teaching space following the completion of its new Simulation Lab and classroom expansion project.

The $5 million project, led by Svigals + Partners with construction manager Shawmut Design and Construction, began in January 2018 and marked completion in July, transforming the space in less than one year, just in time for the fall semester’s start.

The Yale School of Nursing sought an expansion of the existing program to integrate the latest technology and include a wider range of simulated environments as well as expanding curricular offerings by utilizing comprehensive teaching modalities.

According to Ann Kurth, dean of Yale School of Nursing, the new, state-of-the-art teaching spaces are designed to help prepare future Yale nurses to address where health care is going – including outpatient, disaster and telehealth care.

The full scope of the project includes nearly 8,000 square feet of newly designed space; with an enlargement of the Simulation Lab, nearly double the size of the previous facility.

The design includes two new classrooms, a primary care assessment lab, six standardized patient exam rooms, two new debrief rooms, the addition of high-tech observation and control rooms, student and faculty work stations, a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment for home care simulation as well as updates to the Center for Biobehavioral Health Research and first floor café.

Under this design, the expansion offers both new and realistic primary care and home care settings; used for the high-fidelity simulations featured in the curriculum.

“The expansion design reflects the increasing importance of simulations in healthcare education, which allow instructors to observe and record interactions between nursing students and the trained actors who play patients. Discussions of these interactions in debrief sessions that follow are a growing part of medical and nursing school pedagogies. The range of settings included in the new design distinguish this simulation lab from those in other schools, as does the new recording technology integrated into the lab,” said Doug Lovegren, associate principal with Svigals + Partners.

The new facility also features advanced video capture systems integrated into the lab, which allows the faculty to monitor simulations remotely and to play them back for critiquing and discussing with students.

“By investing in the expansion of the simulation lab, Yale School of Nursing is committed to ensuring that the next generation of nurse leaders, scholars, and practitioners are fully prepared for the future challenges in national and global healthcare. This exciting venture will help us maintain our status as one of the top graduate nursing programs in the world,” said Ann Kurth, school dean.

The post Yale School of Nursing Unveils State-of-the-Art Lab Expansion appeared first on School Construction News.

The 13,000-square-foot space features a six-lane USA Swimming–certified pool with bleachers, locker rooms and a lobby gathering space. The lobby and pool spaces are set behind a tall ribbon of north-facing glass, showcasing the adjacent treetops and hillside, and reinforcing the building’s connection to other athletic facilities on campus. Specifically, it was constructed with pillar supports that allow students to see the view of the Frank J. Bertino Memorial Field from the top of the hill. Shawmut Design and Construction built the facility, working closely with designer PBDW Architects — both of which have offices in New York.

“It was an exhilarating experience for our team to rise to the challenge of building the center on top of a steep, rocky hill,” said Tony Miliote, Shawmut’s vice president, in a statement. “The complex logistics were well worth the effort, resulting in a facility that not only maintains the area’s scenic beauty, but will allow both students and visitors to enjoy a state-of-the-art aquatic center.”

Shawmut carefully selected materials with durability in mind due to the corrosive nature of the pool environment. The space features multiple sustainable elements, including a highly efficient building envelope, reduced energy loads by capturing heat from the pool dehumidification systems, water use reduction, storm water quantity control, use of recycled and regional materials, and increased indoor air quality, according to a statement.

Shawmut is also working on renovations to Riverdale’s Marc A. Zambetti ’80 Athletic Center and recently completed the Lower School’s new Upper Learning Building on the River Campus in August 2016. The new Upper Learning Building replaced the former Perkins Building, with a design that similarly connects students to the outdoors. It allows all third- through fifth-grade classes to learn in one location for greater collaboration.

The post Riverdale Country School’s New Aquatic Center Connects to Nature appeared first on School Construction News.

The renovation project transformed the building once known as the New Bodleian into a multimedia space with an exhibition hall, lecture theater, digital-ready classrooms, conservation and imaging workshops, office space, a café and reading rooms. The facility is made up of six aboveground stories with three underground stacks, reported Harvard Magazine, and was designed by London-based Wilkinson Eyre Architects.

Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s librarian since 2014, told Harvard Magazine that the main goal of the project was to create “better interactions between manuscript archives, rare books and people.” As such, the library doesn’t look like a traditional library at first glance. Its large atrium greets visitors with the same grand statement that a museum would. A glass-walled circle of stacks floats above the entrance hall, and walls feature two 70-inch Samsung touch-screen displays.

The two exhibition galleries allow visitors to see some of the library’s historic archives, rather than hiding them from view as in the past. For instance, the Treasury will house university treasures such as the Magna Carta and Gutenberg Bible, on the First Folio on semi-permanent display, according to Harvard Magazine. The other exhibition gallery will house special exhibitions.

While visitors are able to interact with these exhibitions, there is a notable division between public and research spaces. Once allowed access, scholars can take advantage of the library’s new reading rooms that open up level by level. This section of the library also incorporates teaching spaces such as the lecture theater and five seminar rooms.

The renovation was partially funded with generous donations from a number of donors. The largest was about $37 million (£25 million) from the Garfield Weston Foundation — hence the name change to Weston Library — which was matched by Oxford University Press. Another about $7.5 million (£5 million) was gifted to the project by Julian Blackwell, president of Blackwell’s and whose Oxford store sits adjacent to the Weston Library site. This additional funding allowed the development of the Blackwell Hall, the library’s new entrance hall.

The post Oxford Library Enters the Digital Age appeared first on School Construction News.