Inspired by a parent's vision, the Grousbeck Center is a dynamic campus hub where students develop 21st Century skills while interacting with the latest technologies, playing games, making music, practicing vocational skills, and simply hanging out with friends. The 17,000 s/f building combines a range of social areas, classrooms, flexible meeting rooms, music facilities with an internet radio station, and a café. Every aspect was designed to encourage innovation, interaction and independence.
Since its October 2011 dedication, the Grousbeck Center has become and an important resource for the Perkins community. In addition to providing social space for students, the building also contains classrooms and meeting areas for Perkins teachers and visiting educators. These spaces are wired for international access, connecting educators across the world through video conferencing. Specialized iPad controls allow all users to engage in this educational outreach.
The building incorporates a variety of green design principles and achieved LEED Silver certification. The design team focused on creating healthy environments, providing all users access to the building controls, and reducing energy and water consumption. The building was designed with sensory cues to help users navigate. This includes a variation in the floor surfaces, acoustical signals provided by surface absorption at major entries, and variation in the lighting design.
Shawmut Design and Construction: construction manager
GUND Partnership: architect
LeMessurier Consultants: structural engineer
Zaurie Zimmerman Assoc.: owner's representative
Perkins: owner
RFS Engineer: MEP engineer
The Green Engineer: green design consultant
Collaborative Lighting: lighting designer
Vantage Technology Consulting Group: tech consultant
Stefura Associates: furniture consultant