A new three-story academic building is being added to the Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, Vermont.
The 25,000-sf expansion, designed by KaTO and ZGF Architects, will comprise interdisciplinary classrooms and the school’s library on BBA’s upper campus. The building is organized around a central commons that will house the school’s library, which has been reimagined as a lively environment that encourages activity and interaction. Spaces for individual work and study will also be included.
The library will be built from CLT and glulam and reflect the surrounding mountainous landscape. Mass timber was selected to help support student health and success as a growing body of research suggests it has psychological health and well-being benefits such as reduced stress and lower blood pressure.
The building will be divided into four distinct learning neighborhoods that support different levels of flexibility and types of activity. A STEAM neighborhood will co-locate a student maker shop with specialty equipment, a computer laboratory, and a learning space. These spaces will be connected by operable garage doors that can be opened to form a greater Maker Commons.
Designed to be net-zero ready, the new facility will include electric-run HVAC sysxtems, an air-to-water heat pump, and the timber structure for the building commons. The expansion will welcome its first students in fall 2021.
Related Stories
| Apr 15, 2014
Chipperfield's sparkling brass-clad scheme selected to be new home of Nobel Prize
The distinctive building, with its shimmering vertical brass elements and glass façade design, beat out two other finalists in the Nobel Center architectural competition.
| Apr 14, 2014
Perkins+Will-designed KSU Engineering building now under construction
The facility will consolidate instructional, research, and office space from across campus into a flexible environment.
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Apr 8, 2014
Science, engineering find common ground on the Northeastern University campus [slideshow]
The new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building is designed to maximize potential of serendipitous meetings between researchers.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 19, 2014
Frames: the biggest value engineering tip
In every aspect of a metal building, you can tweak the cost by adjusting the finish, panel thickness, and panel profile. These changes might make a few percentage points difference in the cost. Change the framing and you have the opportunity to affect 10-20 percent savings to the metal building portion of the project.
| Mar 17, 2014
Rem Koolhaas explains China's plans for its 'ghost cities'
China's goal, according to Koolhaas, is to de-incentivize migration into already overcrowded cities.
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
