Salem State University
Charlotte Forten Residence Hall
Project
Charlotte Forten Residence Hall
Client
Salem State University
Location
Salem, MA
Completion
2015
Size
103,000 GSF
Certification
LEED Gold Certified
Category
Residence Halls
This 350 bed residence hall at Salem State University creates a new face to the University’s Central Campus. The building is organized into two wings that define two major new green spaces - an outward looking civic green, and a south-facing quadrangle that is the center of residential life. A glassy bridge connects the two wings where these two outdoor spaces come together. The project includes a large campus-wide public space that serves as a Starbucks café by day and a performance venue for open-mic nights and other events by night.
A CAMPUS GATEWAY
An important goal for this project was to transform central campus (a former light bulb factory purchased from Sylvania Corporation in 1990) from surface parking lots into a network of green quadrangles. The two wings of the building create a gateway to campus. The highly transparent building amplifies the university’s efforts to create a residential campus with visible 24 hour student activity concentrated at the University’s front door.
Project Consultants
Structural Engineer | LeMessurier Consultants, Inc.
Mechanical / Electrical Engineer | Cosentini Associates
Civil Engineer | Nitsch Engineering
Landscape Architect | Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture
Photographer | Robert Benson