UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In an effort to integrate business start-up and maker-space opportunities in a facility with a central downtown location near the University Park campus, the Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning approved Kieran Timberlake of Philadelphia, as the architect for the James Building replacement.
In other action, committee also approved Hoffman Leakey Architects of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, as the architect for the Applied Research Lab Steam Plant research facility relocation, also near the University Park campus.
Both projects were approved by the full board on Sept. 14.
James Building
The planned new facility, which will be approximately 100,000 square feet, will support the Invent Penn State initiative with the creation of a multi-use innovation and maker-space facility. It will include space for the existing University-sponsored LaunchBox 2.0.
The existing 30,000-square-foot James Building, built in 1920, is currently home to the Daily Collegian, administrative offices for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, and the college’s Media Effects Research Labs. Structural deficiencies in this almost 100-year-old building limit its capacity and drive the need for this replacement.
Kieran Timberlake was approved based in part on their previous work. Examples include the Engineering Research Center at Brown University, Brockman Hall at Rice University and the Sculpture Building at Yale University.
ARL Steam Plant relocation approved
The awarding of additional sponsored research contracts has expanded the scope of a ARL Steam Plant research facility relocation project, increasing the previous cost estimate above $10 million, requiring board approval. The facility is used to research and develop steam systems for energy conversion applications.
Hoffman Leakey Architects were previously approved by the board in May 2017 to design the addition to the ARL Energy Science and Power Systems Test Facility. The firm also was hired to complete a feasibility study for the relocation of the ARL Steam Plant research facility to the same secured site at the Larson Institute Test Track in Benner Township, near the University Park campus.