From the moment its doors opened for fall 2014 classes, students, faculty, staff, and visitors alike have taken delight in UMBC’s new Performing Arts and Humanities Building (PAHB), which offers exceptional venues for performances and lectures, settings for teaching and research, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. “It’s an inviting space,” said Scott Casper, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. “It’s a space for every student on campus to experience the performing arts and humanities, for our entire campus community to come together around cultural events, and for people throughout greater Baltimore to participate in UMBC’s vibrant cultural life.” The PAHB provides new, state-of-the-art facilities for arts and humanities departments and programs. The building is designed to enhance UMBC’s teaching, research, and public outreach, and to heighten the visibility of the arts and humanities as major components of campus and community life. “This new building, the largest on our campus, speaks to the central role that the arts and humanities play in shaping our students as thinkers and as citizens,” noted President Freeman Hrabowski. “It is designed to foster interaction and collaboration, and it supports the kind of interdisciplinary work that inspires our students and helps them develop as innovators and leaders.” -UMBC

 

MG McGrath Scope of Work: In phase one of the 34,150-square-foot project, MG McGrath fabricated and installed 17,500 square feet of Rimex Metals Inc.’s 22-gauge Stainless Steel Hook Seam Panels with its Champagne Granex with pattern 6-0M dimpled finish material. In addition to the stainless steel shingles, MG McGrath fabricated and installed all of the accessories including bending trim of Rimex Metals’ material to complete the weatherproof system. In phase two, MG McGrath installed 16,650 square feet of Rimex Metals’ 2-foot by 5-foot Flat Lock Wall Panels with its 22-gauge Champagne Granex 304 with pattern 6-0M dimpled finish. MG McGrath used its model to get the panels flattened and make them in trapezoid shapes to keep the vertical lines on the wall straight and plumb. MG McGrath also installed the west-end thumbprint framing with Minneapolis-based Radius Track’s curved studs and covered it with plywood, vapor barrier and metal panels over the wall.

UMBC Performing Arts and Humanities Building | Phase 1

UMBC Performing Arts and Humanities Building | Phase 2

The PAHB is a “very energy efficient building,” notes campus architect Joe Rexing, citing features such as its white reflective roof and water management system. “Inside the building, finishes and materials were selected for their low VOC (volatile organic compounds), so they don’t off-gas — materials such as latex paints, carpets that are very green, and sustainable products made of recycled materials. We use certified wood that comes from sustainable forests. And a lot of other finishes that you see inside the building are made from recycled construction materials.” The building has been awarded LEED Silver status, following the guidelines set out by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to identify buildings as “green.” LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized mark of achievement in building specifications. Permanent flat screen displays located in the building’s lobbies offer more detail on the PAHB’s sustainable features and LEED certification. -UMBC