COLLE

George Mason University, Performing Arts Building

Fairfax, Virginia

T
he programmatic components of the
existing Performing Arts Building ex-
pansion include a band rehearsal with
sound locks, a percussion rehearsal hall
with sound locks, instrument storage, two
dance studios, dance student locker rooms,
a gallery area and public toilets. The ac-
tivities occurring in the band rehearsal hall,
percussion rehearsal hall and the two dance
studios require special sound isolation and
high ceiling requirements.
Because of the very t i g h t site c o n -
straints, a central circulation spine was
established to accommodate programmatic
requirements and provide clarity to the in-
ternal circulation of the facility. An entrance
is provided at the north end of the central
spine and faces one of the main pedestrian
thoroughfares on campus. The spine is de-
signed as the main public lobby for recep-
tions, gathering and miscellaneous student
activities on the north end, and a dance
gallery space on the south end. The dance
gallery area is separated by a glass wall in
the main lobby to provide a sense of privacy
and noise control to the dance studios.
The existing facility lacked a clearly
defined entrance. The addition provided
the opportunity for a new entry to the entire
facility.
The new c o n s t r u c t i o n added 18,621
square feet to the third floor of the existing
building. It also added 1,795 square feet to
the fourth floor of the existing building. The
Hughes Group Architects
Associate architect: Performance Architecture
Client:
George Mason University; Brian Marcus, Associate Dean, College of Visual & Performing Arts
Area of project entry category:
4,600 sq. ft.
Cost/square foot of project entry category:
$71
Total cost:
$6.3 million
Completion:
July 2010
total new construction was 20,416 square
feet and encloses 517,746 cubic feet of
volume.
The exterior finish of the addition is a
combination of fenestrated masonry veneer
and metal panel wall system. A glass canopy
and the metal-clad and high-volume band
rehearsal space are situated to achieve a
new entry experience to the facility. Verti-
cal window features draw attention to the
horizontal composition and individuality of
the form, and admit natural light in the main
spaces of the facility.
The HVAC systems for the performing
Cost of project entry category:
$325,000
Total area:
24,600 sq.ft.
Total cost/square foot:
S256
Photographer:
Dan Cunningham
arts addition consist of indoor air-handling
units with chilled-water cooling coils and
hot-water reheat coils. It has a new con-
verter, and two new hot-water pumps were
replaced with the existing converter and
pumps in the existing humanities building
mechanical room. The new converter and
pumps were sized for the combined capacity
of the existing building and the pertorming
arts addition. There were 2'/2-inch connec-
tions to the 5-inch hot-water pipes in the
existing mechanical room. The new 2'/2-inch
hot-water pipes were routed to the new ad-
dition and the mechanical equipment. X

18 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • SCHOOLDESIGNS.COM • AUGUST 2011

 AUDITORIUMS/MUSIC ROOMS

"The striking space has an eye-catching entrance

with a tasteful blend of graphics. Glass is well-
placed in the rehearsal area and studios. This
project uses a nontraditional approach for a
venerated institution."

AUGUST 2011» SCHOOLDESIGNS.COM • AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY 19

© 2011 Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.