Lowell, MA – Steel erection is scheduled to begin this month for the new $27 million health and service building on the Lowell Campus of the University of Massachusetts.
Total project cost is estimated to be $40 million, including furniture and IT and AV equipment. Gilbane Building Company is the construction manager and Cambridge Seven Associates is its architect.
The new 69,000gsf health and social sciences building will provide much needed additional instructional space and faculty offices. Relocation of existing departments to the new building will enable vacated space in existing buildings to be renovated to accommodate the current and future physical requirements of instructional, office, and support uses.
The four-story atrium lobby space with skylights is in response to the repeated requests from members of the UML community for space that will promote student and faculty interactions. This is especially critical at UML with a mixed population of residential and commuter students, and due to the physical separation of the multiple campus environments.
State-of-the-art instructional spaces are appropriately sized to enhance student learning and retention. Faculty offices and research spaces are designed to recruit and retain qualified faculty, attract research funding, and enable student access and participation in cutting edge research in their chosen fields.
The new building will accommodate up to 893 students and 139 faculty staff. It will have 72 faculty offices, eight conference rooms, seven classrooms and 16 seminar/project rooms. Primary users will be nursing, psychology and criminal justice.
Mike O’Brien, Gilbane project executive, noted that “After being brought on board at the start of the design development phase, our services included estimating (including reconciliation with the architect’s independent estimator), value management, constructability reviews, document coordination and code review, development and management of the design and construction phase CPM schedule, phasing and site logistics development, prequalification of subcontractors, and permitting.
“These services were provided in close collaboration with the owner and architect and timing was identified early on so all parties understood the deliverables and when they needed to be completed. All design phase milestones were met and the project budget was maintained throughout the design phase andinto procurement. The design phase was successful due to the open teamwork, collaboration, and common objective of the owner (including the University), architect and Gilbane team.”
The building has been designed to a LEED Silver rating. Notable sustainable design features include:
· Optimized energy performance through chilled beam technology for
heating and cooling providing 25% energy reduction;
· Reduced solar heat gain provided by a white PVC roof membrane;
· Enhanced commissioning of MEP systems to optimize indoor air
quality and comfort;
· 75% of regularly occupied spaces receive natural light;
· Stormwater discharge to municipal collection system reduced by
on-site retention;
· Water efficient landscaping does not require irrigation;
· 20% water consumption reduction by low flow toilet room fixtures;
· 40% of construction materials manufactured within 500 miles and
· 75% of construction debris recycled
Principal-In-Charge Steve Imrich AIA of Cambridge Seven Architects pointed out that “This project is one of the first new buildings on the South Campus in almost 30 years, and it must fulfill many objectives: programmatic, functional, and ymbolic. One of the more complex design issues was how to make the
building work as an anchor for a new Campus green while also providing a new street presence on a prominent campus corner. To address this, Cambridge Seven Associates designed a building with no ‘back’ per se, allowing it to play a visible and important role in campus enhancement.”
Imrich said, “The building will have a prominent presence on the emerging South Campus green space while at the same time serving as an anchor to one of the main South Campus district entry points at the corner of Wilder and Broadway Streets. This strategic location at the entry to the South Campus will become a new symbol of progress.”
Cambridge Seven’s Ron Baker AIA, the Project Manager, also noted that BIM technology was used by the design team from schematic design through the construction documents phase. “The base BIM model was maintained by Cambridge Seven Associates, and our team incorporated the 3D models generated by both the structural and MEP engineers. The BIM model has just been turned over to the CM-at-Risk for
the coordination of the mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, and electrical systems during Construction.”
In addition Baker said, “The participants in this project – representatives from the Department of Capital Asset Management, UML, the Design Team and the construction manager-at-risk – have worked together in true team collaboration, and we’ve not had to overcome any major problems on this project. The design schedule was met on time and the construction budget was maintained throughout the design phases and into the bidding and awarding of the sub-contractor contracts. Project construction is about 5% complete so the building is just coming out of the ground, and thus far there do not appear to be any major obstacles on the horizon beyond the typical day-to-day construction issues.”
The work-to-date has been primarily conducted over the summer break. The remaining work to erect and enclose the structure will occur over the 2011-2012 academic year, and like the ETIC project nine months further into construction on the north campus, no disruption to any University programs are anticipated.