SERVICES

Architectural / Engineering

CONSTRUTION COST

$9 Million

START / COMPLETE

-

SIZE

115,000 sf

Provided complete engineering design services for a new award winning 115,000 square foot university building consisting of classrooms, lecture halls, administrative offices such as admissions, registrar, student services, financial aid and placement, cafeteria, bookstore, library and audio-visual laboratory. As a campus building for Michigan's largest private undergraduate college, it services nearly 6,000 students including housing the 800 student School of Management.

The building is both functional and attractive with its three level, partially earth sheltered design. Classrooms are located on the upper two floors with access to other campus buildings; administrative offices are located on the west side with access to nearby staff member parking; and cafeteria and bookstore are centrally located for maximum accessibility.

Of particular interest are the library and courtyard/atrium. The library is located 26' below grade to provide a quiet place for studying. Natural lighting provided by a lightwell and greenery offsets the feeling of being underground. The courtyard/atrium in the center of the building is naturally illuminated by four 30x30 skylights. Additionally, structural and mechanical elements are exposed and brightly painted.

The four skylights illuminating the courtyard/atrium, as well as those in the stair towers and in the library, were designed to reduce lighting costs by taking advantage of natural light. The use of exposed interior and exterior concrete, reduced heating requirements due to its insulating properties.

The building's mechanical system objectives include good air circulation, adequate ventilation, quiet operation, and energy conservation in accordance with the latest new-building design concepts. Cooling is achieved with a rooftop chiller unit having an air-cooled condenser. Chilled water is circulated to the air handling unit coils. Energy conservation features include an air economizer cycle, wherein outdoor air is utilized for cooling whenever possible, and switching arrangements in classrooms assure that only rooms in use are cooled.