Fitchburg, MA – Fitchburg State College’s newest and greenest residence hall in Mara Village, built by Colantonio, Inc. of Holliston, opened to students in August, 2009. This $14.4 million, 40,000sf project features five stories and 14 suites – providing a badly needed boost of 104 beds to the campus.
Designed by Childs Bertman and Tseckares, the building links the existing upper and lower villages, originally made up of a group of eight buildings. New walkways, improved lighting and the addition of a common space centrally located within the new hall provide the unified look and feel sought by the college.
Students are enjoying new state-of-the-art housing that helps unify the college campus while also employing many environmentally friendly features.
The site of the new hall presented a significant challenge due to a 40-foot change in elevation between the existing Upper and Lower Villages. In order to stabilize the hillside while minimizing disruption to the students and neighbors, the team successfully used a soil-nail wall which consisted of a two-foot thick application of shot-crete with 40-foot anchor ties. The new grand stair was strategically constructed around the hilly terrain to join the existing buildings with the new dormitory. Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act called for a ramp leading into the new building from the lower two buildings, where a separate elevator leads to the upper-level grade of the main campus.
A LEED Certified Silver-rated building, Mara Village boasts features which maximize energy savings and help reduce overall water consumption on campus. The energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment allows students to monitor their energy use by room. Low-flow shower and kitchen faucets were installed along with dual flush toilets. During construction, all recyclable products were sorted and distributed to local recycling centers. Low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, caulking and adhesives were used throughout the construction to help improve indoor air quality. Pre- and post-consumer rated materials such as poured-in-place concrete, structural steel, ornamental metals and certified wood, carpet and impact rubber flooring materials were also used.
