Building features

The new Metcalf Building contains a variety of rooms to facilitate teaching, research, and academic interaction:

• Five classrooms including an auditorium that can seat 210;
• 12 conference rooms and informal interaction spaces;
• 32 labs (clustered around similar academic interests);
• 64 faculty and administrative offices (randomly arranged by academic interest);
• A library.

Basic building facts

• 74,187 square feet on four floors
• Architect: Leers Weinzapfel Associates (Boston)
• Lead contractor: Dimeo Construction Company (Providence)
• Built as a chemistry research lab in 1923
• Renovation work began May 2010

Economic and construction facts

The Metcalf renovation project represented a substantial investment, often in locally sourced materials:

• Total cost: $42,250,000;
• 85 full-time-equivalent construction jobs created;
• 75 tons of steel and other metals (steel fabricated in Rhode Island);
• 570 cubic yards of concrete (purchased in Rhode Island);
• 250,000 linear feet of metal studs;
• 8,400 sheets of drywall;
• 750 gallons of paint (purchased in Rhode Island).

Environmental Sustainability

The University incorporated energy-saving and environmentally friendly features into the construction project, including:

• Low-flow fixtures resulting in a 30-percent reduction in overall water usage;
• High-efficiency equipment resulting in a energy saving 27 percent better than the local energy code requirement;
• new insulted glass, low-E glazed, operable double hung wood windows;
• 2,470 tons of construction and demolition debris diverted from the Rhode Island landfill (approximately 93 percent of project waste was diverted);
• High-efficient florescent lamps and LED lamps with advanced lighting control;
• Application pending for LEED silver or better.