Gilbane Building tops off $113 million General Academic Building No. 1 for UMass Boston

The final beam was hoisted atop the frame of the new General Academic Building No. 1 (GAB No.1) on the northeast corner of the UMass Boston campus. The four-story, 190,000 s/f building is set to open in fall 2015. The $113 million GAB No. 1 will feature 2,000 seats of general-purpose classrooms, along with teaching labs, art and performance studios, a theater, and a 150-seat recital hall. UMass Boston chancellor Keith Motley, senate president Therese Murray, UMass Building Authority interim executive director Patricia Filippone, chair of the UMass Building Authority board of directors Philip Johnston, students, faculty, and staff signed the beam at a topping off ceremony. GAB No. 1, which is next to the Campus Center, will support the university's growing student enrollment and course offerings. It will house art, chemistry, and performing arts' programs. "As the executive director of the UMass Building Authority, I am thrilled to be leading the development of so much activity at UMass Boston. For a campus that had not seen much capital investment since its original construction, we are now in the middle of a transformational phase," said Patricia Filippone. "General Academic Building No. 1 is vital in providing the space we need as we increase enrollment and expand our academic offerings," Motley said. UMass Boston broke ground on the building in February 2013. It is part of a 25-year master plan that includes an Integrated Sciences Complex, scheduled to open this fall; the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, which is also slated to open this year, and the reconfiguration of the roadways, harborwalk, and utility infrastructure of the entire campus. Designed by Wilson Architects, the new building is incorporating many sustainable design strategies and will seek LEED Silver certification. Gilbane Building Company is serving as the project's construction manager. In addition, the project team includes Joslin Lesser & Associates Inc.