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.