New London, Conn – The $17.7-million project renovated and expanded New London Hall, the oldest building on the Connecticut College campus, to create a new graduate-level science facility with a collaborative space for teaching and research. The project included gut renovation of the four-story, 26,000 sq-ft structure and construction of a new 10,000 sq-ft, four-story addition. Designed by Payette Architects of Boston, the Science Building was initially planned for LEED-Silver certification, but was able to achieve LEED Gold.
Design and construction was completed in only 26 months, compressed from the original 44-month schedule. A Formal Partnering Program committed all project stakeholders to a team-focused attitude throughout the design and building process. Weekly Partner meetings continued throughout construction, with a “Champion of the Week” recognized for their collaborative work overcoming complications that arose during the project. Information-sharing was facilitated by a secure-access website for the project architect, owner, KBE, subcontractors, and vendors.
Forty-five geothermal wells provide 100 percent of the building’s heating and cooling, which helped the project achieve a higher-than-projected LEED Certification.
