The national general contractor Suffolk has had a longstanding relationship with the University of Massachusetts. Over the years it has built nine residential facilities on that institution’s 9,000-student campus at North Dartmouth, Mass., between Providence and Cape Cod, including the 800-bed Pine Dale and Oak Glen halls, and the 1,200-bed Woodland apartment complex.
Last month, the partners broke ground on a $134 million housing and dining complex on Parking Lot 7 near the university’s Campus Center and College of Visual and Performing Arts.
The project, when completed in the fall of 2020, will replace four residence halls that opened in 1976. It includes a 1,210-bed, 267,000-sf housing complex in two buildings, with an estimated cost of $108 million. These facilities will have classrooms, multimedia and study lounges, demonstration kitchens, and recreational spaces. A technology equipped maker space will enable students to work in groups. The buildings will also have soundproof music practice rooms and two computer learning commons.
The housing builldings will flank a $26 million, 38,000-sf student dining commons with an 800-person capacity, which replaces the university’s main dining hall built in 1977. Its design includes a large flat top grill where students can see their meals being prepared.
“Our team has worked in collaboration with the University from the beginning and we are excited to deliver a facility that will meet the unique needs of their students and faculty for decades to come,” says Randy Kreie, Principal and President of DiMella Shaffer, the construction’s design architect.
The residence halls are being built through a private-public partnership between the university and Greystar, which specializes in housing development and management. No state taxpayer funds will be used, and the project won’t add to the university’s debt. (The project is being financed through the UMass Building Authority.)
This is the first major state-funded building project on this campus since 1980, and represents the first phase of Chancellor Robert E. Johnson’s plan to focus capital investment on the 710-acre UMass Dartmouth main campus. (As part of the current project’s overall scope, the campus’s Science and Engineering Building is undergoing a $54 million renovation that is partly financed by $25 million in state funds.) Future initiatives will include renovation and modernization of academic buildings, the campus center, road infrastructure, and athletic facilities.
“We know from studies and our own extensive experience that providing high-quality living-learning environments for students increases graduation rates, retention rates and academic performance,” says UMass President Marty Meehan. “This project represents an investment in student success and student opportunity at UMass Dartmouth, which by extension will benefit the SouthCoast and the entire Commonwealth.”
Related Stories
| May 9, 2012
Shepley Bulfinch given IIDA Design award for Woodruff Library?
The design challenges included creating an entry sequence to orient patrons and highlight services; establishing a sense of identity visible from the exterior; and providing a flexible extended-hours access for part of the learning commons.
| May 8, 2012
Morgan/Harbour completes three projects at Columbia Centre
Projects completed on behalf of property owner, White Oak Realty Partners, LLC, Pearlmark Realty Partners, LLC and Angelo Gordon & Co.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: TD Ameritrade Park
The new stadium for the College World Series in Omaha combines big-league amenities within a traditional minor league atmosphere.
| May 3, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Rush University Medical Center
This fully integrated Building Team opted for a multi-prime contracting strategy to keep construction going on Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, despite the economic meltdown.
| May 3, 2012
U of Michigan team looking to create highly efficient building envelope designs
The system combines the use of sensors, novel construction materials, and utility control software in an effort to create technology capable of reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
| May 2, 2012
Building Team completes two additions at UCLA
New student housing buildings are part of UCLA’s Northwest Campus Student Housing In-Fill Project.
| May 1, 2012
Construction is underway on MLK ambulatory care center in L.A.
Featuring a variety of sustainable features, the new facility is designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification.
| Apr 30, 2012
Virginia Commonwealth unveils design for Arts Institution
Institute for Contemporary Art will serve as a catalyst for exhibitions, programs, research and collaboration.
| Apr 25, 2012
J.C. Anderson selected for 50,000-sf build out at Chicago’s DePaul University
The build-out will consist of the construction of new offices, meeting rooms, video rooms and a state-of-the-art multi-tiered Trading Room.
| Apr 17, 2012
Princeton Review releases “Guide to 322 Green Colleges”
The guide profiles 322 institutions of higher education in the U.S. and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.
