By Nancy Larson Varney Ph.D., P.E., S.E., and Nathan C. Roy, P.E.

There has been a growing shift towards a holistic approach to health and wellness that considers more than just diet and exercise. As the environment can have a profound impact on our happiness, it is easy to see why students are embracing one of Brown University’s newest buildings.

Brown envisioned a building that would bring together all aspects of health and wellness from the moment students wake up. The Sternlicht Commons and Brown University Health and Wellness Center is not only the first new residence hall to open on campus in 30 years, but it also brings together the University’s Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Brown Emergency Medical Services and the health promotion program bWell. Designed by William Rawn Associates, the structure is a warm, inviting composite of timber and glass that creates a relaxing, uplifting and healing space.

Choosing the Right Materials

Timber creates a calming environment that eases stress and contributes to a happier and healthier place to live and study. Paired with sunlight and floor-to-ceiling views of Pembroke Field, the result is an elevated mood and general feeling of well-being. LeMessurier, the project’s structural engineer, embraced the concept of bringing nature indoors by showcasing the building’s supporting elements.

The two buildings are joined by a glass-enclosed walkway with green spaces on either side. The North Building has three suite-style residential levels over ground-floor common spaces that include a sun-filled lounge, communal kitchen, group meeting rooms and a separate entrance lobby with bike storage. The South Building houses the University’s health and wellness spaces, including a pharmacy, ambulance bay, and bWell area on the lowest level and Health Services and Counseling and Psychological Services exam rooms and offices on the ground level. The three residential levels above offer single “pod-style” rooms with shared kitchenettes and large, open common areas. A single-story multipurpose room offers a panoramic view through three sides of full-height glass.

The ceilings of the dorm rooms and residential common spaces are cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. Constructed of smaller boards stacked in perpendicular layers that are pressed and glued together, CLT provides significant strength, stiffness and dimensional stability. In the residential areas, CLT panels are left exposed to showcase the warmth of the timber and reduce the need for finishes. Coupled with steel framing for the gravity and lateral systems, the result is a timber-steel hybrid structure.

Structural Strategy

A steel-timber hybrid structure was selected to optimize the different structural elements. Unlike a mass timber lateral system, the steel system did not require a variance to comply with the current building code and potentially extend the construction schedule. Additionally, the first two levels of the buildings are lightweight concrete on metal deck to allow for a two-hour rated separation between residence hall and health spaces.

The design-build project, led by Shawmut Design and Construction, focused on a fast construction schedule. The use of prefabricated CLT panels increases construction speed while decreasing waste, as they are fabricated in a controlled factory, ensuring components fit together when delivered on site. The delivery of the panels is sequenced such that they can be placed straight off the truck without the need for an extensive lay-down area. Fewer crew members are needed to catch and position a panel. This process results in a solid walking surface which, coupled with fewer people on the jobsite, increases safety.

Mass Timber Considerations

CLT panels have a strong and weak direction due to the lamination layout. The layers on the top and bottom of the panels are parallel to its length and define the panel’s primarily one-way spanning direction. Nordic Structures, the CLT fabricator, provided 5-ply panels that were roughly 8 feet wide, up to 51 feet long, and with a thickness of just under 7 inches. The typical layout was three spans of approximately 15 feet each, but the CLT panels also accommodated the irregular column spacing in the South Building.

A typical CLT panel to glulam beam connection uses self-tapping screws through the panel into the beam below. At Brown, the connection between CLT panels and steel beams is similar, but the screws are installed from below through the top flange of the steel beam. Along with bracing the top flange of the beams, these connections allow the steel framing to act as drag struts to the steel-braced frames and the diaphragm chords.

Without knowing the panel layout prior to designing the steel framing, the team decided to limit the minimum beam flange to allow any beam to accommodate CLT panel joints. Additionally, limitation on columns and brace locations in the health spaces resulted in an irregular grid. The flexibility with the timber-to-steel connections helped the coordination and construction processes run smoothly.

The perimeter and corners of CLT floor plates also presented unique challenges. The curtain wall wind anchors, typically connected to steel beams or plates at concrete slab edges, were screwed into the edges, or side face, of the CLT panels. Coordination was required to comply with spacing requirements and capacity reduction values for screws installed in the side face of the panel either in the end-grain or edge-grain laminations were considered.

Mass Timber Benefits

There are reasons a project team might consider mass timber construction beyond the benefits of visually exposing the timber structure. Two of the primary positive impacts of incorporating timber are related to resilience and sustainability. From supporting managed forestry, being a renewable resource, and sequestering carbon, timber construction offers many green benefits.

A recent focus on reducing embodied carbon of structures is reflected in the SE 2050 Commitment Program (SE 2050) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Add all the other pieces to complete construction and this steel and timber skeleton becomes a building that reaps the biophilic benefits of wood for residents and visitors alike. The connection to nature can be seen in the reflection of trees on the glass wall of the multipurpose room and the illumination of the CLT ceilings in the common spaces of the residence halls.

Project Team

• Architect: William Rawn Associates, Architects
• Structural Engineer: LeMessurier
• Contractor: Shawmut Design & Construction
• Steel Fabricator: Ocean Steel & Construction
• CLT Fabricator: Nordic Structures
• Concrete Contractor: Marguerite Concrete Contractors

Ausutors:

Nancy Larson Varney, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., is an associate teaching professor at Northeastern University, formerly an associate with LeMessurier. She can be reached at n.varney@northeastern.edu.

Nathan C. Roy, P.E., is a principal with LeMessurier. He can be reached at nroy@lemessurier.com.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.— Brown University is a key player in the state’s largest solar panel project, emphasizing the campus’ commitment to achieving net-zero energy use by 2040. ��

Dry Bridge, the monumental solar project, is a vast 117,120-panel solar array that sits on a 240-acre parcel of land that was once a sand and gravel extraction pit. Dry Bridge is on track to generate 66.8 million kilowatt hours of power per year, powering nearly two-thirds of Brown’s 231 campus buildings and eliminating 16,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of taking 3,500 gas-powered cars off the road, according to a University statement.��

“Dry Bridge is a transformative milestone for clean energy in the region and signals a significant step toward  ,” said Christina Paxson, Ph.D., president of Brown University, in the statement. “The project underscores the need to ensure the University does all it can…to contribute to global efforts to seek climate solutions and combat the threats posed by climate change.”��

However, achieving net-zero goals is no new concept to Brown.��

In 2018, the University made its initial commitment to offsetting 100% of its on-campus electricity use. Installation of the solar panels began in 2021 after necessary permits from North Kingstown and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management were approved, and site remediation followed shortly after, including removing existing structures, land surveying and planting restorative vegetation to attract pollinators. Land-use impacts were minimal, according to a statement by the University. No large-scale tree-clearing occurred, nor encroachment on neighborhoods, both important aspects to Brown in choosing the site for the project.��

Under the terms of a 25-year power-purchase agreement with MN8, the New York-based energy company that owns Dry Bridge, Brown University will pay MN8 to operate the facility. As part of the agreement, Brown will obtain and retire project-specific renewable energy credits through Dry Bridge, a proof-of-ownership solidifying the University’s right to claim the renewable energy as its own. According to the University’s announcement, Brown will also reduce its electricity costs by utilizing credits from the energy project through net metering, in compliance with Rhode Island’s Renewable Energy Program laws on net and virtual net metering.��

“We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of the Dry Bridge solar facility, a project that underscores our commitment to renewable energy and exemplifies the collaborative spirit needed to drive meaningful change,” said Jon Yoder, MN8 president and CEO in a statement. “This project is a testament to our vision of a decarbonized world and reinforces our dedication to delivering innovative energy solutions that empower communities and protect our planet.”��

Additional developments for the solar array included a new power substation and underground and overhead lines to transmit power. According to Frank Epps, CEO of Energy Development Partners, the Providence-based company that developed Dry Bridge, the power lines installed are the highest-distribution voltage in all of Rhode Island. EDP teamed up with Narragansett Electric to install underground and overhead lines, secure the proper state permits, and to design and complete infrastructure improvements.��

Other hurdles in the project included sudden change of project owner, delays and substantial challenges around interconnection service agreements, taking two years to navigate both state and regional relegations before construction could commence.����

“During two years of negotiations, all of the project partners, regulatory agencies and the utility worked together, and the project ultimately received the necessary authorizations to interconnect,” said Al Dahlberg, associate vice president for government relations at Brown University, in a statement. “It was an undertaking that took a tremendous amount of effort, patience and collaboration to accomplish.” ��

Brown University has continuously trailblazed a path towards net-zero possibilities in more ways than the solar project. The University’s additional efforts include using sustainable building and cleaning materials, reducing meat consumption in campus dining, utilizing eco-friendly equipment for campus equipment and transportation, pursuing elimination of fossil fuels and further exploration of geothermal energy. ��

“The goal is no more fossil-fuel combustion,” said Stephen Porder, associate provost for sustainability at Brown, in a University’s statement. “We’re really learning how to get there as a society, and what Brown is doing is throwing ourselves into this challenge and leading and learning how to actually do this through our actions, in what we teach and in how we learn.”��

Caption for Featured Image: Dry Bridge solar farm produces enough energy to power nearly two-thirds of Brown University’s campus buildings and will eventually offset 100% of Brown’s on-campus electricity use. Photo credit: Nick Dentamaro/Brown University

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Shawmut Design and Construction recently celebrated a virtual topping-off ceremony of Brown University’s under-construction Performing Arts Center at 130 Angell Street in Providence. The project began in 2019 and is slated to be completed in spring 2023; it is anticipated to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver certification.

Shawmut, in partnership with internationally acclaimed architecture firm REX, is completing the state-of-the-art, 94,000-square-foot complex that will anchor a future campus arts district and expand the possibilities for the creation and staging of experimental, collaborative, and engaged performance work. With an unparalleled approach to spatial, acoustic, and technical flexibility, the Performing Arts Center will feature a dynamic main performance hall, a central lobby and promenade as well as customizable spaces to create, rehearse and perform.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Brown University and create a building that will push the boundaries of innovation in performance spaces across the globe,” said Ron Simoneau, executive vice president of education at Shawmut. “Through an innovative and collaborative project delivery, we’re building a facility that is technologically sophisticated, highly flexible and one-of-a-kind in higher education.”

Designed to offer unmatched flexibility, the building’s main performance hall will be able to transform into any of five vastly different stage and audience configurations — ranging from a 625-seat symphony orchestra hall to a 250-seat proscenium theater to an immersive surround-sound cube for experimental media performance. The shoebox-shaped hall can modulate physically and acoustically and will feature components such as seating gantries, acoustic curtains, reflector panels and lighting bridges that can be shifted, hidden and stretched to configure the space. With the capability to move walls, floors, seats, ceiling and lights, the Performing Arts Center will become an ultra-adaptable hub for Brown and surrounding communities.

On its exterior, the building will feature an aluminum rainscreen that will appear to shift in color and pattern with seasonal changes and time of day. Inside, the Diana Nelson and John Atwater Lobby will create a central convening space that sits within the building’s horizontal clearstory, slicing through the façade at stage level to enable performances, rehearsals and arts scholarship to extend into the Brown campus and surrounding neighborhood. Below street level, the complex will offer spaces for theater, music and dance that will enable students and faculty to create cutting-edge, original artwork and include areas for student groups and other collaborative activities.

“We’re here to recognize the hard work underway each and every day by the teams of dedicated professionals who support this project,” said Brown University President Christina H. Paxson at the virtual event on December 10. “This celebration is about all of you…especially all of the skilled men and women who are quite literally bringing this remarkable vision to life.”

Work on the Performing Arts Center has been able to continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on the firm’s world-class safety program, Shawmut has deployed enhanced safety protocols to mitigate the risk of infectious disease spread across all jobsites — rolling out new procedures, jobsite innovation and an exhaustive COVID-19 risk assessment and response plan nationwide. These protocols are implemented at the project site and include Shawmut Vitals — a custom technology platform which allows team members to self-certify daily health screenings by scanning a job-specific QR code and completing a health survey.

To optimize efficiency, the project is utilizing Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) — an approach that brings the university, Shawmut, REX and subcontractor teams together to execute all phases of the project, resulting in an effective and highly collaborative planning, design and building process.

Shawmut Design and Construction is a $1.5 billion construction management firm with offices located in Boston, Providence, New York, Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Irvine, Calif.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Shawmut Design and Construction recently celebrated a virtual topping-off ceremony of Brown University’s under-construction wellness center and residence hall at 450 Brook Street in Providence, which is expected to be open in time for the university’s fall 2021 semester.

Shawmut, in partnership with William Rawn Associates, is completing the center that will mark the first new building in the university’s housing portfolio in 30 years. The facility will bring together Brown services and programs instrumental to students’ physical and emotional well-being—including Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Brown Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and BWell, the university’s health promotion program. The center will also include a 162-bed residence hall on the upper floors to create a unique community of students who are committed to developing and sustaining healthy lifestyles and promoting the well-being of the Brown community and beyond.

The project, which is part of the Brown/Shawmut Strategic Sourcing Program, is designed to LEED v4 Silver standards, using FitWel and Well certification systems as guidelines for the overall approach. This holistic approach to wellness translates directly into the building’s sustainable materials. Most prominently, the building features an innovative hybrid system of steel framing and cross-laminated timber (CLT), a carbon-negative material that promotes the use of renewable and environmentally sensitive resources, carefully managed forestry, and building technology that is meant to last.

When complete, the center will include a residence hall on the upper floors, including single bedrooms as well as several four-person suites—all with optimum views of the adjacent Pembroke Field. On the lower levels, the co-located student services include clinical areas, a counseling and psychological services team whose offices are arranged around a viewing garden, a health promotion center, and the student-led EMS department.

The interior environment of the building is infused with the same commitment to sustainability through its exposed CLT. The natural wood ceilings and a visible wood deck will present warm, natural material to students and faculty and amplify access to nature and daylight. In addition to strategies for natural ventilation in bedrooms for indoor air quality, the building will also be equipped with energy recovery technology on mechanical systems. All building systems are electric, which is a result of the university’s pledge to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040.

To date, the project has stayed on schedule as Shawmut has deployed enhanced safety protocols to minimize potential coronavirus risk across all jobsites. The firm has rolled out new procedures, new job-site innovation, and an exhaustive COVID-19 risk assessment and response plan across the country.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.— Renovations at 164 Angell Street, a Brown University building in Providence—formerly known as the Brown Office Building—have been completed.

Shawmut Design and Construction, a construction management firm based in Providence, and with locations across the country, was the general contractor on this approximately $25 million project. Done in partnership with the Architecture Research Office, work included gutting the second, third and fourth floors of the 1970 building and transforming the space into a vibrant multidisciplinary hub.

“Our team was honored to revitalize such an important Brown University building to create a contemporary, state-of-the-art space for interrelated academic groups,” said Ron Simoneau, vice president at Shawmut.

“Our long-standing partnership with Brown University resulted in a coordinated approach that upholds the original design of 164 Angell Street, while promoting greater synergies and opportunities for collaboration.”

The nearly 50-year-old building had been characterized by its narrow and dark interiors, but is now highlighted by a design that focuses on natural light.

The renovated space includes state-of-the-art conference rooms with updated technology and video conference capabilities. The building’s systems and structure were overhauled, including the replacement of approximately 40 percent of the precast façade with curtainwall, new mechanical, engineering and plumbing systems, as well as elevator systems, and an updated enclosed lobby space off Angell Street.

Not only did the extensive renovation improve the interior design and work environment for its occupants, but several centers, institutes and departments are able to move into the same building. 164 Angell Street now houses these entities from across the Brown campus: the Carney Institute for Brain Science, the Center for Computational Molecular Biology, the Data Science Initiative, the Department of Education, and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.

The Brown Bookstore, located on the ground, mezzanine and basement floors remained operational throughout the project, requiring careful planning and coordination.

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Despite its small classrooms and narrow hallways, Wilson Hall is described in a statement by the university as one of its most “heavily trafficked undergraduate academic buildings.” The hall, however, has not received an upgrade since a modest renovation in the 1960s.

“If you visit Wilson Hall during the exchange of classes, so many people are pouring in and out that it can be difficult to even get into the building,” said Dean of the College Maud Mandel in a statement. “Couple that heavy use over more than a century with its location on the Main Green, and it’s easy to understand why Wilson has a symbolic significance to the undergraduate learning experience at Brown.”

Mandel added that the interior renovation will do much more than simply refresh old classrooms; it will allow the building to accommodate different courses and types of instruction. Work will extend across approximately 20,000 square feet and give the facility a new three-floor configuration. It will establish seven new classrooms featuring both fixed and flexible seating and modern teaching technology. Among these will be a more intimate 500-square-foot, 24-student seminar room alongside larger classrooms that will comfortably serve up to 100 students.

The project will also establish a new 900-square-foot student common area on the first level to facilitate more casual student interaction. Other improvements to the first level will include two new ADA-accessible entryways on the building’s north and west sides. A new elevator will improve accessibility throughout the building.

“The entryways we envision will invite spaces where students can gather before or after class,” University Architect Collette Creppell said in a statement. “Much of the activity that happens inside this old stone building will spill outside into landscaped areas, which will encourage social interactions and create a wonderful new set of connections to the larger Brown campus.”

While the project will overhaul the existing interior, the building’s original façade will be preserved. Upon the project’s completion, the university plans to rededicate the building as Friedman Hall in honor of its benefactors.

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