Keene, NH – Keene State College’s new Alumni Center, the newest addition to campus, is a high-performance green, building. According to the Keene State web site, it will be “an anchor, meeting place, and focal point for alumni activities and gatherings”. It sits on a small downtown site on Main Street in Keene, and was officially dedicated on June 4.
The facility, comprised of over 20,000 square feet of new and renovated space, contains offices, meeting rooms, a library, call center, and a large function hall. Eckman Construction served as General Contractor for the project, which was designed by Weller & Michal Architects of Keene. The building consists of a renovated historic wood-frame house, connected to a newly-constructed main building with brick façade. Its unique features include many cast stone details, including cornices, architectural panels, and columns.
As construction was completed, the building’s performance was tested and certified by Zero by Degrees, LLC of Fairlee, Vermont. According to Zero by Degrees’ owner Jon Haehnel, “The concerted cooperative efforts of the owner, contractor, designers, engineers, and subcontractors resulted in a tight air barrier and a superior thermal envelope.” Testing showed the building to be more than three times as airtight as the average US commercial building. This excellent performance will save energy and result in operational cost savings for the college.
Eckman Construction, based in Bedford, has been working as Construction Manager, Design-Builder, and General Contractor in New Hampshire for over 36 years. It is their commitment to complete every project on time and under budget.