Salem – Jones Architecture is currently planning and designing renewal projects for UMass Lowell and Massasoit Community College (MCC) that will serve as catalysts for transforming their science programs. “Each of these projects offer exciting opportunities to breathe new life into older buildings while also enhancing their campuses and supporting unique science programs,” said Lead Principal Rick Jones.
Jones is working with the UMass Building Authority and UMass-Lowell to study space needs for the engineering programs housed in Ball Hall on the north campus. A mid-century building that adjoins the original campus quad, Ball Hall has extensive deferred maintenance needs that need to be addressed to bring it up to par with other campus resources; a $50 million update to the adjoining Perry Hall building was completed in 2019. A 4-story, 100,000sf building, Ball Hall was constructed in 1958 and currently houses programs representing plastics engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. The project is currently in the feasibility study phase where the design team is looking at a 10-year plan to renew the building. Phase one will be approximately $15 million estimated construction cost. “We are looking forward to the opportunity of revitalizing this mid-century building and giving it new life for 21st century learning and research,” noted Rick Jones.
Sixty miles southeast of Lowell, Jones is working with DCAMM and MCC on comprehensive renovations to the sciences, nursing, and allied health teaching, lab, and administrative programs on the Brockton campus. For this project, Jones is the prime and Studio Luz Architects of Boston is a collaborating architect. The study currently underway spans work in three existing buildings from the original 1970s-era campus. A phased approach, designed to minimize swing space challenges, lines up renovations to each of the three buildings in sequence. The result will be state-of-the-art teaching and lab spaces for nursing, allied health, radiation tech, and general science courses. Improvements to deferred maintenance challenges such as envelope and roof are also under consideration. This project is an investment of a $30 million estimated construction cost.
These projects offer an opportunity to transform and modernize MCC to better align academic programs with projected enrollment growth and to increase flexible spaces for group learning, specialized instructional formats, student study, and office and support spaces for faculty. Summarizing this work, Rick Jones noted, “It’s exciting for us to be immersed in these types of transformational projects that are certain to have a positive impact not only on the buildings and their campuses, but also provide opportunities for interprofessional education and help to position MCC to be a leader in skilled workforce development.”
