Boston – In October 2010, The Boston Conservatory held the inaugural show in its new performance venue at 31 Hemenway Street in Boston. The performance, Opening Note: Building Dreams, was the first chance for many school officials and members of the project development team to see the new building addition and renovated theater in action. Years of fund-raising, design and development followed by 19 months of construction culminated in this 42,000sf , state-of-the-art facility that will draw students from around the world to the prestigious performing arts institution.
Lee Kennedy Co. served as construction manager on the project, which was the school’s first in more than 50 years. To help answer the school’s need for larger, more modern performance and rehearsal spaces and provide long overdue utility and technical upgrades, Lee Kennedy Co.’s team worked closely with New York City-based Handel Architects, owner’s representative KVAssociates and The Boston Conservatory on preconstruction services for more than a year to plan the complex project before ultimately completing construction in August 2010.
New construction consists of a four-story expansion that houses dance studios and a large orchestra rehearsal hall with heightened acoustics and soundproofing. The new building features brick masonry with CMU back up and a large curtain wall facade.
The existing three-story building was gutted and fully renovated to include studios for dance, music and theater, office and administrative space, a new lobby and box office and a full overhaul of the main performance space – a 324-seat theater with state-of-the-art audio/ visual; lighting; dimming; rigging and control systems and back-of-house functions. The team also constructed a one-story vertical addition, replaced the existing roof truss system with structural steel and installed all new MEP and HVAC systems.
Facilitating a Seamless Process
From the earliest opportunity in preconstruction, Lee Kennedy Co.’s team utilized building information modeling to plan construction scheduling and phasing and facilitate trade coordination. Using the software enabled the team to highlight conflicts and implement solutions before arriving on site.
Even with construction underway, the Conservatory continually looked for ways to upgrade and improve the facility for its staff and students. From including an extra story on the vertical addition to adding a catwalk system and state-of-the-art lighting package, the school strived to provide the highest quality facility at every step. Lee Kennedy Co., Handel Architects and the entire team worked closely with the school to accommodate all of the upgrades and remain on schedule.
Building in the City
Located on narrow Hemenway Street in downtown Boston, logistics were a key concern. The tight urban site sits just off Massachusetts Ave and Newbury Street, bringing heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The building itself closely abuts business, residences and two busy thru-ways.
An alley behind the buildings remained open throughout construction, adding to accessibility concerns and leaving no laydown area for materials or deliveries. This required close collaboration between Lee Kennedy Co. and the Conservatory, the City of Boston, abutters, and subcontractors to maintain accessibility and minimize impact on the neighborhood. To accommodate the space constraints, LKCo. utilized swing staging and timed material deliveries with subcontractors to arrive as items were needed on site.
“The Hemenway project was a rewarding experience for the entire team. Moving this project from concept to reality was a testament to the team’s collaboration. I think we are all proud to have played a part in giving these students the facility they deserve,” said Robert O’Leary, Lee Kennedy Co.’s Vice President of Academic/ Institutional.
Adds Richard Ortner, president of The Boston Conservatory, “Our new facility allows us to dramatically improve the learning and performing experience for our students, faculty and audiences. Equally important, the project serves as a significant part of the Fenway Cultural District and a real gift to the city of Boston.”
