ADD Inc, now with Stantec, recently completed Faraday Hall, a residence hall for Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), located in downtown at 10 Faraday St., across from Gateway Park, the university's 11-acre life sciences-based campus.
"WPI is one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities, and the residence hall was designed to accommodate the needs of its science and technology students," said B.K. Boley, principal at ADD. "We chose the 19th century scientist, Michael Faraday, the father of electromagnetism, as our inspiration, leading us to create a building that is clearly 'technical and energized' in its appearance, but also fitted out with the technology and modern amenities that fit the needs of today's students."
The residence hall is a 259-bed, 89,000 s/f, apartment-style student residence built to house upper-class undergraduates and graduate students.
The building features four-bed apartments with single and double bedrooms, full kitchens, living rooms, compartmentalized bathrooms and recreational facilities.
The building is energy efficient and uses local and recycled materials that maximize energy and water-usage proficiency and reduces the environmental impact from transportation. Additionally, the residence hall features expansive windows that maximize the amount of natural light, minimizing electrical consumption during the daylight hours. The building is currently awaiting LEED certification.
ADD Inc strategically designed Faraday Hall to fit its urban environment and appeal to the needs and lifestyle of its students. Its three wings are located along the street's edges, concealing the interior courtyard from the street.
The lobby includes a multipurpose room for 30 that can be used for gatherings. A social area on the ground floor features a pool table and counter space for student interaction, and the interior courtyard provides valuable green space.
The building's Technology Suites are located on each floor and offer an area for socialization with full wireless access. The bedroom suites feature a full kitchen with a bar that seats six and opens up to the living room that has sectional sofas that allow students to personalize their unit by rearranging the furniture layout.
The interior color scheme reflects the exterior by incorporating blues, greens and teals in custom designed carpets and wall coverings that draw from the metal panels, while oranges suggest the building's outdoor brick color.