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
Architects | Apr 21, 2023
Architecture billings improve slightly in March
Architecture firms reported a modest increase in March billings. This positive news was tempered by a slight decrease in new design contracts according to a new report released today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). March was the first time since last September in which billings improved.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 19, 2023
Austin’s historic Rainey Street welcomes a new neighbor: a 48-story mixed-used residential tower
Austin’s historic Rainey Street is welcoming a new neighbor. The Paseo, a 48-story mixed-used residential tower, will bring 557 apartments and two levels of retail to the popular Austin entertainment district, known for houses that have been converted into bungalow bars and restaurants.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper
When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India
Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Meet The Hithe: A demountable building for transient startups
The Hithe, near London, is designed to be demountable and reusable. The 2,153-sf building provides 12 units of business incubator workspace for startups.
Metals | Apr 19, 2023
Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings releases new color forecast for architectural metal coatings
The Coil Coatings division of Sherwin-Williams has released its latest color forecast, FUSE, for architectural metal coatings. The report aims to inspire architects, product manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the coil and extrusion market over the next 3-5 years and beyond.
Airports | Apr 18, 2023
India's mammoth new airport terminal takes ‘back to nature’ seriously
On January 15, 2023, Phase 1 of the Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2, in Bengaluru, India, began domestic operations. The 2.75 million-sf building, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), is projected to process 25 million passengers annually, while providing its travelers with a healthier environment, thanks to extensive indoor-outdoor landscaping that offers serenity to what is normally a frenzied experience.
Resiliency | Apr 18, 2023
AI-simulated hurricanes could aid in designing more resilient buildings
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method of digitally simulating hurricanes in an effort to create more resilient buildings. A recent study asserts that the simulations can accurately represent the trajectory and wind speeds of a collection of actual storms.
Green | Apr 18, 2023
USGBC and IWBI unveil streamlined certification pathway for LEED and WELL green building programs
The U.S. Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc., and the International WELL Building Institute released a streamlined process for projects pursuing certifications for the LEED green building rating system and the WELL Building Standard. The new protocol simplifies documentation for projects that are pursuing both certifications at the same time or that have already earned one certification and are looking to add the other.
