Jury comments: This historic steam plant—a McKim, Meade & White building—was once a coal-burning power plant and later used as a utility shed. Now it is repurposed into a vibrant hub for contemporary student exchange. And it’s so simple, reusing and enhancing the existing structure without putting make up on it. The architect has done everything right, impressively eschewing beautiful finishes in favor of retaining the grit and character of the original building. It’s easy to imagine that this will become a beloved campus facility. The longer it’s looked at, the more there is to see. The use of pre-existing stacked ventilation and radiant heating demonstrates a commendable and sustainable repurposing of infrastructure. This is very restrained work; an excellent preservation/reuse story.
Client: Amherst College
Consultants: Waterman Excavating Inc.; Boston Building Consultants; R.W. Sullivan Engineering; Haley & Aldrich, Inc.; Lewis Lighting Design; Petersen Engineering, Inc.; BVH Integrated Services, P.C.; Harold R. Cutler, P.E.; Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, Inc.
