2019 Best of Design Award for Infrastructure: North Chiller Plant, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Designer: Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
The new North Chiller Plant replaces a smaller plant and enhances the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus’s master plan by locating the new plant outside a major view corridor. The parallelogram footprint maximizes usage of the narrow site by reconceiving the typical rectangular orientation of the chillers into an “angled parking” layout. The exterior continues this geometry with an angled interface between the insulated metal panels punctuated with channel glass above and a glazed base. The base is highest on the northern side to allow vehicle access and lowest on the southern to reduce solar gain. The transparent ground floor promotes “technology on display” by exhibiting the color-coded piping and equipment, transforming the building into an engaging element of visual learning for the campus.
Construction Manager: Fontaine Brothers
MEP and Structural Engineer: RMF Engineering
Civil Engineer: Nitsch Engineering
Landscape Design: Brown, Richardson + Rowe
Acoustics: Acentech
Honorable Mentions
Project Name: BART Market Street Canopies
Designer: VIA Architecture
Project Name: WETA Richmond Ferry Terminal
Designer: Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects
Editors’ Picks
Project Name: Frances Appleton Pedestrian Bridge
Designer: Rosales + Partners
Project Name: Northeastern University Pedestrian Crossing
Designer: Payette