McLaughlin
Cluster Residence Halls
at Dartmouth College
Hanover, New
Hampshire
Dartmouth College determined
to establish a new intensity of common gathering spaces
and living quarters on the north end of their Hanover,
New Hampshire campus. There was a growing need for
student life accommodations for sleeping, social
gatherings, study corners, etc. The answer was a complex
of 6 residence halls connected in two connected
buildings, each housing three wings. The total new
neighborhood called The McLaughlin Cluster, named after
a renowned and well loved Dartmouth College president
from recent years past, houses over 340 students.
This group of residence
halls are designed in the Dartmouth tradition of quality
materials, distinct Dartmouth architecture, enhanced by
the outstanding design talents of the fine architectural
design firm Moore, Ruble, Yudell of Santa Monica,
California. They teamed up with Bruner Cott Associates
of Cambridge, Massachusetts to perform the design and
construction administration for this grand project.
These buildings and grounds are designed utilizing LEED
accreditation design standards of sustainability. As is
the case in each Dartmouth College capital improvement
project, the McLaughlin Cluster Residence Halls were
designed and built anticipating 100 years of use by the
students and staff at Dartmouth.
This project earned a Gold
LEED rating from USGBC, making it one of the first to
enjoy that prestigious accolade.
The 120,000 square foot
residence hall complex was designed to accommodate
approximately 340 student beds, common spaces, and
utility areas.
Constructed as a masonry
bearing pre-cast concrete plank structure, the facility
is enveloped with an exterior wall section comprising
polyurethane spray foam insulation, appropriate air
cavity and drainage plane, and a Dartmouth college blend
brick and granite exterior.
The roof is a raised-rib
copper sloped/gabled roof finely appointing the brick
exterior and providing the 100 year service life
Dartmouth requires of their architects and engineers.
The wonderfully landscaped
grounds are designed by Richard Burke Associates of
Cambridge, Massachusetts. A LEED approved rain garden
and drainage treatment swale is for on-site filtering of
rain and storm water run-off. This features is an
important part of this project site and showcases
Dartmouth’s ongoing commitment to building an
environmentally responsible campus.
The many grand attributes of this site
and building gave PML Project Management the envious
privilege of managing a project delivery process that
few ever have opportunity to participate in.
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