V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 14. Perelman Plaza

Updated 12.2.13. Perelman Plaza’s Cohen Garden is under construction. Take a look at the photo below, and check it out in person if you can!

Updated 8.14.13. Take a look below at the updated plans and renderings of Perelman Plaza which show a possible design for the area:

 

Updated 3.28.13. This summer, construction will begin on Perelman Plaza, an outdoor gathering space located at the center of Drexel’s campus. In addition to serving as a vibrant community hub where students, faculty and staff can eat, socialize, study and meet, Perelman Plaza will connect the future LeBow College of Business Building and Chestnut Square (mixed-use retail/residential development).

The plans and renderings below show a possible design for the area. (Note: the image with the blue arrows and shapes depicts potential sites for storm water retention.)

Strategic Improvements: The Drexel University Boathouse (Boathouse #6)

Updated 3.25.13. Recently, Drexel assumed the responsibility of facilities manager at its boathouse, Boathouse #6 or Bachelors Barge Club. In 2009, Drexel’s rowing teams began rowing out of the boathouse, which happens to be the oldest rowing club in the country.

The photos below show some of the most recent boathouse improvements which include new tile on the shower floors, new epoxy floors in the restroom, patched and cleaned walls in the main stairwell and corridor, and new stair treads. Outside, improvements consist of a newly-cleaned boat storage area with a gravel “floor,” as well as an updated main dock with pressure treated planks.

V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 13. Nesbitt Hall Renovations

Updated 2.14.14. On February 6th, a newly renovated Nesbitt Hall opened its doors to the School of Public Health. Take a look at the following links for more information and photos!

Drexel School of Public Health Opens Own Building

Drexel School of Public Health Photos

Updated 10.7.13. Have you ever envisioned Nesbitt Hall with a different facade? That is exactly what architects at Mills + Schnoering did in the following PDF. Take a look below:

Nesbitt Hall

Updated 8.8.13. Construction is underway on Nesbitt Hall’s interior. Walls on upper floors are beginning to be studded out. Compare the photos below to those from the previous entry (March):

Updated 3.20.13. Floors three through seven of Nesbitt Hall are in the process of being dismantled prior to the construction that will transform the building into a new home for Drexel’s School of Public Health. While the aforementioned floors undergo renovations, Nesbitt Hall’s first two floors will remain open to serve as swing space.

From the photos below, you can see that certain floors are further along in the dismantling process (the higher floors are worked on first to keep noise on the lower floors to a minimum). Additionally, please note that the words “out” and “demo” on some of the walls signify future demolition.

V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 12. LeBow Engineering Center – Microfabrication Lab

Updated 8.8.13. Construction on the LeBow Engineering Center’s Microfabrication Lab is progressing beautifully. Take a look at the photos below and compare them to those from the May 13th post!

Updated 5.13.13. The renovation of the LeBow Engineering Center’s Microfabrication Lab is now in full swing. The space has been demoed and construction will begin shortly.

Updated 3.20.13. The Microfabrication Lab at Drexel’s LeBow Engineering Center will soon undergo construction that will result in a newly-updated, state-of-the-art lab containing Class 100 to Class 1000 cleanrooms.

Below are photos of the Microfabrication Lab prior to construction:

V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 11. Curtis Hall – University Research Computing Center

Updated 5.13.13. With the exception of a final cleaning, the URCC project is finished. Take a look at the photos below:

Updated 4.10.13. In less than a month, a great deal of progress has been made on the construction of Curtis Hall’s University Research Computing Center (URCC). Compare the photos below to those from the 3.20.13 post!

Updated 3.20.13. Curtis Hall is currently undergoing renovations for its new University Research Computing Center (URCC), designed by the Philadelphia-based architecture firm BLT Architects. This high-tech facility will serve as a central location for various academic server facilities, and will also include a cutting-edge climate control system and an elevator that will improve building accessibility to the data center.

Below are two photos of the large wires (and even larger pipes to carry the wires) used in the URCC. Though it might be difficult to sense the scale from these images, some of the wires are over 1.5 inches in diameter!

The space that will house the URCC:

Having an elevator will improve accessibility within Curtis Hall:

Part of Curtis Hall’s new, state-of-the-art climate control system is pictured below:

V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 10. Drexel Central

Updated 7.18.13. On Monday, Drexel Central opened its doors in the Main Building. Now students and their families have a one-stop venue for questions and issues related to registration, financial aid and billing. Take a look at photos of the new space below:

Updated 3.25.13. This January, Drexel began construction in the Main Building on Drexel Central, a one-stop venue for students and their families to handle questions and issues related to registration, financial aid and billing.

To provide exceptional service to students and their families, Drexel has created an action-focused list of objectives for Drexel Central:

Below is a first-floor plan which suggests what Drexel Central might look like when the renovations to the Main Building have been completed:

Based on the plan above, how might people move through Drexel Central? Take a look at the idea below:

The following image is a conceptual depiction of a corner within Drexel Central (for spatial orientation, check out the key plan below the site simulation). Though this image simply represents a possibility, it demonstrates the exciting direction in which Drexel Central is headed!

The photos below show the future Drexel Central space as it is. Soon, it will be transformed into a single, comprehensive office for matters of billing, financial aid and registration.

V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 9. Daskalakis Athletic Center

Updated 8.27.13. New telescopic seating for the DAC arena is currently being installed. The installation is estimated to wrap up within the next few weeks. Take a look at the photos below for a preview of what the seats will look like:

Updated 3.21.13. The Irwin Telescopic Seating Company will be providing the new West Side custom telescopic seating for the DAC arena. The Irwin Model 5000 Telescopic System will consist of both Marquee and Integra seating as well as plastic seat modules (BlowMold Seats), and will offer aisle, end and back rails for increased safety. Pictured below are photos from the Irwin Telescopic Seating Company website (photo credit to http://www.irwinseating.com/). Please keep in mind that these chairs and rails vary slightly (especially in fabric color) from the future DAC seating!

The Integra chairs will include upholstered padding and armrests:

The Marquee chairs, complete with armrests, will be padded and upholstered with ergonomic, compound curved back structures:

Aisle rails will be installed for added safety:

Updated 3.20.13. The Philadelphia-area architecture firm Kimmel Bogrette rendered two site perspectives (daytime and nighttime views) that depict a sleek, newly-renovated DAC. Though the site simulations are not final, they provide a sense of the design aesthetic in mind for the project.

Updated 3.14.13. In early November 2012, Drexel’s men’s and women’s basketball teams moved into their newly-renovated suites, which are pictured below:

The renovations also included new team rooms and locker rooms, complete with comfortable seating, a kitchen area and space to gather before and after games and practices:

Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships

Updated May 12, 2014: The Dornsife Center’s exterior is as beautiful as its interior! On a sunny spring day, we couldn’t resist taking a few photos of the newly renovated site at 35th and Spring Garden Streets.

Interested in the history of the 35th and Spring Garden site? Don’t miss the previous blog entry (found below)!

Photo credit for this series: Emily Mitnick 

Updated May 8, 2014: The city block at 35th and Spring Garden Streets, home to the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, has a rich history. Created as a country estate in the 18th century, the site was converted into a subdivision in the early 19th century and transformed again into a residence and school for mute and deaf children in the early 20th century. Over eighty years later, the site will embody the same spirit of service as a hub for civic engagement between Drexel and its surrounding community. The Dornsife Center will open its doors this June.

Below are fifteen photos of the renovated space provided by P. Agnes, the construction manager for this project.

Updated 3.14.13. The Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships at 35th and Spring Garden Streets is expected to open in 2014 and will be a hub for civic engagement between Drexel and its surrounding community.

Below are two photos of the 1.3-acre site, which includes a school and two historic buildings that will be renovated:

 

Below is a site perspective showing what the Dornsife Center might look like post-development:

V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 7. W.W. Hagerty Library

Changes to the layout of Drexel’s W.W. Hagerty Library are under discussion. Take a look at three isometric plans designed by Kling Stubbins, the architect for the project.  While the layouts of the floors are not final, the viewer can get a sense of the increase in seating capacity under consideration:

After additional design development the University will be able to estimate the cost of the project and commence discussions about the schedule and impact on current operations.

V. 2012 – 2017 Master Plan Current Issues: 6. Drexel Innovation Neighborhood

Updated 4.8.13. The preliminary tree diagram below shows a very green Innovation Neighborhood (and surrounding campus!). A multitude of new trees will not only provide pedestrians respite from the sun’s rays, but will also enliven the city streets.

Updated 3.12.13. The aerial map below contains future development sites within Drexel’s Innovation Neighborhood (shown as red diamonds). The Innovation Neighborhood will be home to a variety of building uses, including, but not limited to, retail, academic and residential, and will connect Center City and University City.

While the site drawings below are merely conceptual, they offer a terrific opportunity to see how the Drexel Innovation Neighborhood might appear after development. We are in the process of making the drawings more representational, but in the meantime, take a look: