Chestnut Hill College recently dedicated its new fitness and social complex to donors Jack and Rosemary Murphy Gulati ’61. The $3.4 million Gulati Complex includes a 5,000-sf fitness center, adjacent McCaffery Lounge café and social gathering space, plus an outdoor entrance pavilion and plaza.
Casaccio Yu Architects of Havertown, Pa., designed the multi-phased project. The fitness center opened for student use during the fall semester; McCaffery Lounge welcomed its first guests during the winter. Both incorporate visual cues to the heritage, core values, and history of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and Chestnut Hill College.
McCaffery Lounge curves around a new stone fireplace, with bold color and graphics used to literally express the school’s core beliefs around a ceiling frieze. “Circle The City With Love” in multiple languages rings the room, celebrating the ministry of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Three seating areas create flexibility for large groups or intimate gatherings.
A new entry pavilion and exterior plaza link the Gulati Complex with nearby buildings, extending the piazza of the Logue Library and serving as a welcoming center of campus for prospective students. +
Related Stories
| Feb 23, 2015
6 trends changing the way city dwellers live
Across the cultural grid, from food to retail to transportation, America's urban areas are already undergoing a major metamorphosis. Here are the six major trends shaping our cities, from Fast Company.
Green | Feb 23, 2015
State of the green union, and the next big shift in sustainability
The history of the green movement offers cues that we are on the precipice of another significant shift in the green union.
| Feb 23, 2015
Where are the iconic green buildings?
What does a green building look like? How would you know one if you saw one? Maybe a trivial question to some, but of great interest to architects, designers, and other members of the Building Team as the rapid evolution of sustainable buildings continues apace.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 21, 2015
Pumped-up recreation centers help build body, mind, and spirit
Adopting facility layouts from Asian and European models, today’s sports and recreational buildings are becoming social hubs that accommodate a variety of community needs.
University Buildings | Feb 20, 2015
Penn strengthens campus security by reviving its surrounding neighborhood
In 1996, the University of Pennsylvania’s sprawling campus in Philadelphia was in the grip of an unprecedented crime wave. But instead of walling themselves off from their surrounding neighborhoods, the school decided to support the community.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 20, 2015
Chargers, Raiders propose joint stadium in Carson
Two rival teams may bring the NFL back to Los Angeles.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 20, 2015
‘Floating’ park on New York’s Hudson River moves one step closer to reality
The developers envision the 2.4-acre space as a major performance arts venue.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 19, 2015
Is multifamily construction getting too frothy for demand?
Contractors are pushing full speed ahead, but CoStar Group thinks a slowdown might be in order this year.
Architects | Feb 19, 2015
Illustrator Federico Babina imagines architecture from nowhere
The illustrator imagines architecture where past, present, and future intertwine.
Codes and Standards | Feb 18, 2015
USGBC concerned about developers using LEED registration in marketing
LEED administrators are concerned about a small group of developers or project owners who tout their projects as “LEED pre-certified” and then fail to follow through with certification.