Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
Boston, MA
Studio G partnered with Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (BFCIT), a private non-profit college offering affordable education for those seeking technical careers to design a new campus on Harrison Avenue in Roxbury’s Nubian Square. With Studio ENEE, Collaborating Architect for the design of public spaces and general classrooms, our design for BFCIT’s new state-of-the-art facility will be transformative, providing technology-rich educational spaces and creating flexible new common spaces that can adapt to evolving educational programs.
BFCIT, Leggat McCall and our design team engaged in an extensive strategic planning process including assessment of BFCIT’s current campus, exploration of future growth and expanding educational programs, development of a detailed space program for the new campus, and iterative test fits and cost analysis. The resulting master plan invests in a new purpose-built facility that accommodates planned growth to 600+ students and options for future programs.
The new three-story, 66,000 SF building will support 8 academic departments with technology-rich shared classrooms, conference, meeting, and huddle rooms; a central student lounge; multiple study spaces; administration and other offices; and technical labs designed for each program’s specific needs. At the corner of Harrison Avenue and Eustis Street, the first-floor Engineering Technology Robotics Lab will be visible to passers-by and inspire potential students. The Automotive Department will have a live garage to which the public can bring cars for repair by students, as well as hybrid and driverless car labs. A narrow drive behind the building provides access to the automotive labs and doubles as a social gathering space with a sitting wall, pergola and outdoor furnishings.
Focused on technology and engineering education, BFCIT has high aspirations for a deeply sustainable building that serves as a teaching tool for students and a public expression of the educational mission. Students in HVAC, electrical engineering, and renewable energy labs will utilize a rooftop learning lab that supports hands-on learning with access to rooftop HVAC systems, photovoltaic (solar electric) panels, and roof-mounted wind turbines. All students and faculty will enjoy a rooftop gathering space connected to the third-floor lounge by an open skylit stair.
A robust integrated sustainability workshop generated energy efficiency and sustainable goals to reduce the new building’s environmental impact. The building envelope utilizes passive design strategies such as solar shading, orientation, and natural ventilation, as well as Passive House-informed airtight envelope to reduce energy use as much as possible. The high-efficiency mechanical systems include an all-electric variable refrigerant flow system with heat recovery ventilation and a high efficiency electric domestic hot water system. LED lighting and daylighting control systems are planned. Building systems use no fossil fuels. The new facility will target LEED Gold.
Using a regenerative design approach, the new BFCIT design will transform a vacant, former industrial site into a vibrant higher education institution that enhances BFCIT’s mission to prepare graduates for work, life-long learning, and citizenship. It creates a community-sustaining asset that will contribute positively to the transforming Nubian Square neighborhood for decades to come.