Presentation & Building Tour of University Hall (APPA 2009)

NJAPPA MEMBERSHIP MEETING May 8, 2009
University Hall, Montclair State University
Presenter & Tour Guide:
Frank Cunha III, AIA, NCARB
Registered Architect, NJ, NY, PA, DE, CT
AIA The Architects League of Northern New Jersey
President
AIA Society of Architects of New Jersey
Secretary
International Code Council
Member
US Green Building Council – New Jersey Chapter
Member
Division of University Facilities
The Office of Design & Construction
Current/Recent Projects include:
New School of Business (design)
New School of Music (under construction)
New Student Housing (under construction)
New Student Recreation Facility (completed 2008)
Various Capital Improvement Projects

“University Hall is an
exemplary example of
environmental stewardship
and our model for future
buildings, in terms
accommodating the
University’s teaching and
research program needs in an
environmentally
friendly manner.”
-Provost Richard Lynde,
as he executed the Memorandum of
Understanding between the Federal EPA
and Montclair State University.

Main Campus - Site Plan:

Project Information:
• Architect: The S/L/A/M Collaborative
• Landscape Architect: The S/L/A/M Collaborative
• LEED Consultant : The S/L/A/M Collaborative
• Structural: The S/L/A/M Collaborative
• HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing: R.G. Vanderweil
• LEED Consultant (Construction): Chrisner Group
• Contractor: Terminal Construction
• Commissioning Agent: DomeTech
• Civil: Yu & Associates Inc.
• Geotechnical: Melick-Tully & Associates
• Project size: 272,000 square feet
• Construction cost: $54 M ($200/SF)
• Date of completion: 2005
• Number of floors: 7
• Number of Classrooms/Labs: 60
• Lecture Halls: 7
All Photographs Courtesy of:
The S/L/A/M Collaborative

Project Summary:
In 2002, Montclair State University, New
Jersey’s second largest and fastest
growing University, identified the need
for a new flagship, mixed-use facility to
rejuvenate and enhance its expanding
campus, both academically and
physically. The University ‘s goal was to
accommodate the massive building
program in an architectural style
reminiscent of its historic campus
buildings, on the 5-acre site of a treeless
400+ car parking lot, at the outer edge
of the academic campus core.
US Green Building Council
LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design)

University Hall Facilities:
Designed in the University’s distinctive
Spanish Mission style architecture,
University Hall is the largest and most
sophisticated building in Montclair State
University’s history, and has become the
campus icon for learning and teaching
excellence in the 21st century.

The south wing of University Hall
provides a state-of-the-art new home for
the University’s nationally recognized
College of Education and Human
Services, including the ADP Center for
Teacher Preparation and Learning
Technologies, the Center for Pedagogy,
the Literacy Enrichment Center, the
Institute for the Advancement of
Philosophy for Children, and offices and
conference rooms for the more than 150
faculty and staff in the College of
Education and Human Services.

Two floors of the north wing of the
building are dedicated to the University’s
information technology
services and house a large Information
Commons and Technology Solutions
Center for students,
faculty and staff.

Located on the seventh and top floor of
University Hall is the region’s newest
and most sophisticated conference
center and banquet facility, complete
with meeting, conference and event
space for groups of up to 500 people.

Challenges & Achievements:
• Size & Scale - The contextual design of the
University’s largest building in its distinctive Spanish
Mission style, while maintaining a sense of the
building’s size and scalability in relation to the rest of
the campus;
• Schedule - An extremely brief and firm timetable of
three years from start of design to end of
construction- and a fixed budget of little more than
$54 million;
• Complex Program - A complex list of specific
programming criteria that included 52 classrooms,
administrative offices for two large academic
departments, open lecture areas on the bottom floors
and a spacious conference center at the uppermost
level;
• Site - A building site that had once been a rock
quarry, making soil conditions problematic. Much of
the underlying soil had to be removed and replaced
with soil that could withstand the structure’s weight;
More than 1000 cu yds of rock removed from the site
was crushed and reused on site.
• Green Design - An institutional intention to
incorporate sustainability in design and materials.

LEED Strategies & Results:
Storm Water Management featuring
filter units that remove dissolved
phosphorus.

• Construction waste management.
• Water-efficient plumbing fixtures and
waterless urinals.
• Third Party Commissioning and Peer
Review of MEP Design.
• On Site Storage and Collection of
Recyclables.

• Recycled content in steel, concrete,
aluminum, gypsum board, suspended
ceilings, carpet.
• Certified wood for doors, trim, and
blocking.
• Low-Emitting materials such as paints,
sealants, carpets, and composite wood
products.

Native and adaptive plants eliminate
irrigation requirements and reduce
maintenance considerations.

High Performance, Smart Classrooms:
Building was oriented to maximize day
lighting and views. Rooms are equipped
with motion sensors which
automatically turn off the lights when
not in use.

Greenguard® furniture specified
throughout facility: Product certification
program for low emitting interior
building materials, furnishings, and
finish systems.

Lessons Learned:
Q: How does this compare with the
other classroom buildings?
A: The building is overall much better
with energy use than other classroom
buildings.
Q: Does the building perform better
than other buildings from the user
standpoint?
A: Yes, it does. The temperatures are
more constant, the lighting is very good,
the electronic locks perform well and all
mechanical system have been
performing fairly well.
Q: Do you get complaints? And if so
what are they?
A: Mechanical noise on the 5th floor.

Lessons Learned:
Q: How are the waterless urinals
performing.
A: They are performing fairly well. We
get smell complaints, mostly from
custodial staff. But it is more of a regular
problem with making sure that the
urinals are "charged" rather than the
urinal itself.
Q: Have you used the waterless urinals
in other buildings?
A: Not to date, but they are planned
for Chapin and the new dorm.
Q: Do the occupancy sensors work?
A: Yes, they work very well and have had
very few issues with them.

Lessons Learned:
Q: What would you do differently?
A: Pay more attention to details dealing with the
sealing of the building.
Provide better isolation for the mechanical
equipment from the occupied space. The glycol
system and mechanical equipment on the flat
roof transmits some noise into the space.
Use newer model of waterless urinal with the
replaceable cartridge system.
Provide better door closing devices on high usage
doors especially on the exterior large doors. (High
winds and cold temperature create a door closing
and climate control problem in the lobby)
Through bolt all fire and smoke doors (Through
bolting of the closing mechanism would avoid
closers screws come off the door when folks get too
energetic and push these doors past their travel)
Provide means of adequate access to overhead
lights, motors and other equipment for expediting
maintenance replacement/repairs, especially for
auditorium style seating where ceiling access from
floor is difficult at best) .

Presentation & Building Tour of University Hall (APPA 2009)

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