Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Unity Hall
Project Overview
- Management of a tight project site in the heart of the occupied campus with limited parking and material laydown space
- Support of excavation work necessary for foundations being installed on a sloping site with varying grades
- Procurement and installation of specialty interior finishes for robotics, computer sciences and other advanced technology research
Unity Hall is a new five-story academic and research building that supports programs for architecture/engineering, cybersecurity, data science, computer science, learning science, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (BCB) and robotics research labs. The upper two floors consist of seven active learning classrooms as well as the Academic Resources Center, Career Development Center, Academic Advising and Disability Services. This state-of-the-art facility supports WPI’s commitment to preparing students for long-term success in today’s evolving technological world and provides space for “smart world” research collaboration and integrated student academic services while improving campus accessibility.
The building is comprised of a steel superstructure with concrete slabs on deck with a brick and curtain wall façade. Construction required cutting, capping and relocating existing underground utilities that were located within the footprint of the new building. Excavation for new foundations, and general site prep for new construction involved digging into the side of a hill requiring support of excavation for earth retention. The new building is built to LEED Gold certification with sustainable features including a rainwater reuse tank and infiltration system.
