Pratt & Hammond Music Building

While preserving historic exterior and interior performance spaces, the renovation provided for new teaching areas and technology. A two-story, 2,850-sf addition connects the two buildings--Pratt Hall and Hammond Wing--and houses a 40-seat classroom, three studio offices, and a connecting corridor.

The 40-seat classroom contains full multimedia capabilities including motorized room darkening shades, a motorized projection screen, and a ceiling-mounted video projector, all operated from a single remote. Cassette, VCR, DVD, and CD equipment are also in the classroom, as well as a computer interface for faculty laptops.

An addition on the north side of Pratt Hall provides a large, fully mediated classroom, three studio offices, and a glass façade corridor connecting with Hammond Wing, which gives passersby a ?window? into the world of music. Visitors can now see into various practice rooms as well as into the library and auditorium.

As part of the renovation, the primary performance space, McCulloch Auditorium, received new finish and stage treatments, new window treatments, a green room, and new audio/visual and lighting systems. The Warbeke Room, the secondary performance space and multifunction room, accommodates performance instruction and rehearsals, guest speakers, meeting, and receptions. Other benefits include the addition of air conditioning and sprinkler systems and new lighting with dimming controls.

Throughout the entire music-building complex, considerable attention was given to acoustic issues. Acoustical wall panels are included in the practice and teaching rooms to minimize undesirable echoes that could impede the sound and intelligibility of the music. HVAC equipment was designed to minimize background noise by installing sound attenuators and over sizing air distribution ducts. Careful selection and placement of noise producing equipment was also taken into account. Where floor-to-floor sound isolation is deemed critical, ceilings constructed of gyp board are suspended from resilient hangers in an effort to improve the acoustical sound isolation properties of the old wood and plaster construction.

The music and dance libraries were consolidated and expanded to allow for more efficient and extensive use and stewardship of the collections. The library contains compact shelving to accommodate CDs, LPs, VCRs, and DVDs, as well as traditional reading materials.

Twelve practice rooms, open from 8AM to 11PM, were added featuring soundproofing and mechanical system noise and reverberation control. An adjacent seminar room plus a nearby listening area and keyboard lab with computer hookups allows for electronic music composition. In addition, a new spacious lounge area provides space for student interaction.

The project includes full compliance with ADA code requirements. The re-designed front entrance provides full access to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. A new elevator connecting all floors in the facility is large enough to provide for in-house instrument moving. The Mount Holyoke College Music Department firmly believes that the new music facility will become a gathering place for the entire campus.

The Pratt & Hammond Music Building recently received the 2001 William B. Smith Memorial Award for "integrating historic preservation with effective accessibility design."

Project Information

Building Owner:

Mount Holyoke College

Owner Contact:

John Bryant, Director of Facilities Management

Building Location:

South Hadley, Mass. UNITED STATES

Project Type:

Expansion,Renovation

Principal Building Function:

Academic building for the Music Department, practice rooms, and large and small performing spaces.

Project Delivery Method:

Guaranteed Maximum Price

Project Timeline

Mar 1999	Planning Start
May 1999	Design Start
Mar 2000	Construction Start
Sep 2000	Target Completion

Project Cost:

$6,250,000

Construction Cost:

$5,100,000

Cost Per Sq. Ft:

$178

About These Cost Figures

Building Information

Project Includes:

Auditorium
Education
Education: Administration
Education: Classroom
Library
Performing Arts

Total GSF:

28,560

Total NSF:

17,096

Efficiency:

60%

Building Population:

150 to 450

People Density:

63 gsf/person

Special Equip:

?Virtual? Practice Room: electronically simulates the acoustical reverberation characteristics of various sized and types of performance spaces.

Structure/Foundation:

New Addition: Steel framing on concrete spread footings. Existing 1909 Pratt Hall: Masonry and wood framing on concrete spread footings. Existing 1967 Hammond Wing: Concrete structure on concrete spread footings.

Project Team

Commissioning Agent

Strategic Building Solutions

Construction Management

George B.H. Macomber Builders

Consultant - Accoustical/AV

Acentech Incorporated

Cost Estimator

George B.H. Macomber Builders

Engineer - MEP

Fitzemeyer & Tocci, Inc.

Engineer - Structural

Chapin Associates Inc.

Site Engineer

Amman & Whitney

Profile Created 10/19/2001

Last Updated 04/04/2006

About the Reported Cost Figures

The cost figures reported are supplied by the firms that submitted these projects for publication, which in most cases are the designers or builders. Whereas these sources are intimately familiar with their projects, they may not be fully aware of the owners' finally-realized and recorded costs. In some cases, costs are truly and completely accounted for, and in others they represent a near approximation of the final costs. Costs have not been adjusted for year of construction, nor has any attempt been made to make regional cost adjustments.

Further, costs are not comparable on any kind of detailed standard costing model. Hence, it is possible for the cost of one building to include a steam boiler, while the cost of a comparable building might not include the boiler, if steam is being supplied from an already existing campus grid. Or, in another case, a building might include excess boiler capacity to supply steam to another building. Some submittals include fees or unusual site improvements as part of the construction costs, which others do not.

Fig. 1

Fully mediated classroom