Architectural Capabilities Statement of Qualifications December 2021
Contents Who We Are.............................................. Page 1 Government.............................................. Page 3 Education - K-12 Schools........................... Page 13 Education - College & University............... Page 31 Housing..................................................... Page 41 Office & Corporate.................................... Page 55 Sports & Recreation.................................. Page 67
Page 1
Who We Are Our Team at a Glance
1,350 multi-disciplined staff 40 offices globally 68 years in business #50 Engineering News Record’s
(ENR) ranking of top 500 design firms
Connect With Us David Hatton, AIA, NCARB Building Design Business Line Director dhatton@chacompanies.com (215) 380-2420
Founded more than 68 years ago, CHA provides architectural and structural design that is rooted in community ideals and responsive to the landscape and local aesthetic. Our people thrive on collaboration, working as part of project team, listening to our clients’ needs, and concentrating on modern design. CHA Architecture is aligned with CHA Consulting, Inc., a multi-disciplined engineering consulting firm, with a shared aspiration to responsibly improve the world we live in. Together, the CHA team includes more than 1,350 technical professionals throughout the United States and Canada, providing a national platform to combine art and science to rethink, refine and reshape the built environment. The tools may have changed over the past 68 years, the office has grown, and we have many new colleagues to collaborate with, but the ideas and creative energy persist and overflow. Our foundation remains clear — to create high-quality, collaborative designs that stress innovation grounded in careful listening to our clients’ functional needs.
Our Markets CHA’s strength lies in its diversification in the markets we serve, the services we provide, and the geographies we work in. We provide a wide range of technologyenhanced design and planning services to clients across five markets: Government, Industry, Utility, Education, and Commercial Development. Using a market strategy facilitates delivering all our technical services to clients with a focus on strong relationships and maximizing the value CHA brings to our clients and projects. By leveraging our skills and responsiveness, we have built robust client relationships and become a best-in-class consultant.
Government
Our public buildings are designed to communicate responsibility to the taxpayers. The new ones are unmistakably modern buildings of our own era that echo local materials and details and reinterpret them for context and performance. The renovations fit modern interiors and building systems into fine old frames. They strive to be elegant, but not lavish; sturdy, but not flashy; economical to operate; and straightforward and secure in circulation.
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Capital Judicial Center The new building is a combined District and Superior Court that consolidates the Administrative Office of the Courts and several other facilities.
Location
Taking advantage of the site’s long south-facing side, CHA Architecture oriented the single point of access in a queuing vestibule off a grand public plaza and achieved natural daylighting in all public spaces and courtrooms.
Maine Judicial Branch
The arrangement of courtroom sets and the steeply sloping site allowed for four floors on top of secure parking located beneath the entry level. A public stair off the main lobby provides views of the Kennebec River, historic district, and the State Capitol Complex.
Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2016
The first LEED-certified courthouse in the state is an urban brownfield redevelopment with sustainable features that include a high-performance envelope with R15 in the walls and R37 in the roof.
Augusta, ME
Client
Project Type
Renovation & Addition
Awards
Architectural Capabilities
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Region A Headquarters The new Region A headquarters for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife houses biologists and the Warden Service. The project weaves together public meeting areas, private offices and processing spaces, and secure law enforcement functions in a compact, cost effective plan. Designed with a rustic Maine aesthetic, the building is open to the public. The building is designed with a northern-Maine aesthetic inspired by hunting and fishing camps. The exterior materials were chosen for their aesthetics and durability while paying homage to the Maine forest vernacular. The rustic exterior echoes pine siding in a more durable material and traditional green and rusty brown color scheme. Eastern white pine and cedar are showcased around the front entry. The generous Craftsman-style peaked, bracketed entrance canopy responds to the need for shelter at the door from a harsh climate and welcomes visitors. A continuously insulated building envelope combined with energy efficient windows and proper air sealing helps reduce heating and cooling needs. The borate insulation reduces the risk of mold intrusion into the wall assembly. Both the exterior walls and the roof are passively pressurized through a rain-screen system and soffit vents, which promotes drying to the exterior.
Location Gray, ME
Client
Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Project Type
New Construction - 7,200 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Gorham Municipal Center Gorham Municipal Center is a complete renovation of the former Shaw Middle School, which was built in 1939 as the town’s high school.
Location
The project gives a third life to this much-loved facility and includes town and school offices, Town Council Chamber, Gorham Cable Access Television studio, and facilities for the Recreation Department. The building is completely renovated, with new windows and roofing, new elevator/stair tower, new entries, and all life safety/ADA upgrades.
Client
Its central location near Baxter Memorial Library, Baxter House Museum, and the high school reinforces the walkable nature of the village. The new rotunda entrance is visually linked to the Baxter Memorial Library entrance. The new Town Council Chamber, transformed from the former school auditorium, is provided with state-of-the-art broadcast technology for local cable access TV (GOCAT). The control room is in the former balcony, and the TV station has its own studio in the former school library. Historic features like blackboards and built-in bookcases were saved and restored, and new built-ins detailed to match the old. Original floor and wall tiles, paneling, balusters, and handrails were saved where possible and inspired the color palette used in the renovation.
Gorham, ME Town of Gorham
Project Type
Renovation - 54,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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People Plus Senior/Teen Center New construction necessitated a move for Brunswick’s senior and teen centers to the former Union Street School, an 1862 brick building with two additions from 1941. The choice of this building, the former superintendent’s office, moves the senior center to a quieter, more walkable location closer to other town services and shopping.
Location
CHA Architecture performed a feasibility study before the town approved a light-touch renovation with a limited budget. Code issues, including ADA and life safety, dictated new entrances, a wheelchair ramp, and a new elevator.
Renovation - 6,512 SF
There are new finishes throughout, with exposed brick, new carpeting, and a warm color scheme in offices and meeting rooms. A new kitchen allows the senior center to serve meals and run a small café, and the former gymnasium, with a new insulated floor and mirrors, is available for fitness activities and large group activities. New building systems—including a sprinkler system, a natural gas heating system, and air conditioning—replace inefficient systems and bring the building up to code.
Brunswick, ME
Client
Town of Brunswick
Project Type
Architectural Capabilities
Waterville Armory Renovation Originally built in 1964, The Waterville Armory is a 22,000 SF facility owned by the State of Maine and utilized by the Maine National Guard. The Armory has an on-site recruiting office, provides office, training, and support facilities for readiness training. The facility includes a 10,000 SF drill hall with corresponding support facilities. Adjacent to the building is parking, as well as storage for military vehicles. CHA is performing a retrofit of the existing 1960’s era building. The project includes a compete renovation of the building including new mechanical, electrical and plumbing with a refresh of existing finishes. The exterior envelope will be upgraded with new windows that compliment the existing windows in pattern and form. The project addresses life safety, ADA and code upgrades, as well as deficiencies in office, core bathroom/locker rooms and commercial kitchen needs. The site will be upgraded to accommodate the various uses the facility cycles through during program deployment. CHA is providing Type A services for complete building and site design including architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, site/civil engineering, specification and cost estimating.
Location
Waterville, ME
Client
State of Maine Military Bureau
Project Type
Renovation - 22,000 SF
Education - K-12 Schools
K-12 schools provide special spaces for that encourage discovery, creativity, socialization, collaboration, and foster a sense of security for our kids. They are spaces where young minds take shape, and teen minds are nurtured and motivated to begin making plans for careers and life. We work closely with each school district we support to fully understand your community’s values, culture and needs to create spaces that inspire our future generations.
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Mt. Ararat High School The new high school for MSAD #75 involved an extensive community planning process involving citizens, students, and families from the communities of Topsham, Harpswell, Bowdoin, and Bowdoinham. MSAD #75’s decision to stay on their existing campus will allow the new high school to continue its relationship with the middle school on a central site with abundant natural features. The visioning team at Mt. Ararat High School charged us with providing for ubiquitous learning, providing a place the students would feel comfortable in and could consider a second home, and organizing the building around a hub of spaces critical to their established culture. The building was designed with three primary wings, intersecting at the main entry lobby. From the lobby, a public main street connected the Dining Commons to the small theater space to the gymnasium and fitness rooms. Classroom wings radiate from the lobby, each with a diversity of spaces including makerspaces, small and large classrooms, and seminar rooms. Special Education and Social Workers are distributed throughout the building to promote inclusion of all students. The requested hub houses the Digital Media Makerspace, the Robotics Makerspace, the Learning Commons, the Student Affairs offices, Main Administration, and the Dining Commons. It also has informal seating areas and breakout spaces for casual encounters and informal meetings.
Location
Topsham, ME
Client
MSAD #7
Project Type
New Construction - 150,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Caribou Community School Regional School Unit #39 in Caribou, Maine, was chosen to receive state funding to replace the energy-inefficient 1950 Teague Park Elementary School. The consolidation of three aging facilities into one new highperformance school will create efficiencies made necessary by population decline in the area. It will also realize the District’s goal of being able to offer programs and curriculum that are currently only offered to upper elementary students to lower grade levels. The District aspires to expose all students of all ages to innovative STEAM curriculum and hands-on learning. This building facilitates and celebrates that goal. The new pre-K–8 school sits on a 17.4-acre parcel in the center of Caribou, directly across from the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center. Close collaboration among the City of Caribou, the National Park Service, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and the Maine Department of Education makes this central site possible. A new public park will be provided as part of the project. An Innovation Lab, art rooms, multiple project rooms, and a Learning Commons anchor the main spine of the building. This STEAM corridor, traversed daily by all students, centralizes and highlights the students’ collaborative projects.
Location
Stamford, CT
Client
RSU #39
Project Type
New Construction - 120,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Kate Furbish Elementary School A new elementary school in Brunswick will relieve overcrowding at several existing schools and allow for the addition of pre-K classrooms within the district. Responding to concerns about the large size of the student population, CHA Architecture developed a concept of two schools within a school, sharing core facilities. Architectural forms and color were used to reduce the scale of the building to help it fit within the surrounding residential neighborhood. Site circulation was reconsidered to promote student and campus safety. A one-story pre-K wing near the administration office offers an intimate, safe area for the youngest students who are acclimating to public school and includes direct access to their own outdoor play space. The kindergarten, first, and second grades are broken into two “Houses,” each consisting of kindergarten and first grade classrooms on the ground floor and second grade classrooms on the second floor. Students will remain in their assigned House, to help create smaller communities within the otherwise large school. Diversified Arts (library, art, music, gym) and special support service classrooms are located along or just off one of two central corridors that run through the center of the school. The wooded site inspired a forest trails theme that informs the interior spaces and wayfinding.
Location
Brunswick, ME
Client
Brunswick School Department
Project Type
New Construction - 90,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Mt. Blue Campus This major overhaul of the Mt. Blue High School/Foster Technical Center campus serves as a model for fully integrating career technical education (CTE) with an academic high school. The organizational principles place academic classrooms directly adjacent to CTE labs and scatter CTE programs throughout the floor plan, allowing for complete integration between the two. The building incorporates multiple alternative energy technologies such as wood chips, geothermal, solar hot water heating, electrical wind generators, and photovoltaic panels. All of the alternative energy technologies have been designed to be monitored and maintained as part of the school curriculum. The building was designed with 1-, 2-, and 3-story instructional blocks, with shorter blocks designed for future expansion. There are two new performance spaces: a 500-seat, two-story auditorium to serve the theater, music, dance, and video media programs, and a 250seat performance space for academic lectures, meetings of the faculty senate, and small group performances.
Location
Topsham, ME
Client
RSU #9
Project Type
New Construction - 150,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Cafeteria and Classroom Addition This third dormitory is a 22,700 SF, two-story building that can accommodate 52 students and four dorm parents’ families in separate apartments. Like the previous two dormitories, it is designed in a style reminiscent of the shingle style vernacular. The orientation of the building along Main Street creates a safe, common access point, protecting the privacy of the families and students residing in the dormitory village. The building has been designed with breaks along the length of the building including changes in wall planes to create residential-scale building blocks and porches at the apartments. Contrasting paint colors and window accent colors along the façade further emphasize the residential massing elements. The new 8-classroom STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) addition allows the school to strengthen and expand its regular and AP curriculums. Features such as teacher prep rooms, ceiling-mounted cord reels, ample fume hoods, Apple TVs, movable tables and chairs, demonstration stations, and daylighting support inquiry-based learning. In the course of a 90-minute class, AP biology and chemistry classes may rearrange the furnishings several times to move from lecture to small conference to research stations.
Location
Freeport, ME
Client
Freeport High School
Project Type
Renovation/Addition - 30,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Master Plan Buildout A private academy that functions as the local high school, Thornton Academy has been strategically increasing its enrollment to increase diversity and offer a broader range of courses. CHA Architecture’s 2012 Master Plan “found” space for instructional programs that could be reclaimed by moving some functions and renovating others.
Location
Chief among the seven small projects were the renovation of the old gym space for the new library, and the renovation of the former library for the Arts + New Media program. This advanced technology space provides the tools for courses such as Music Technology, Game Design Development, Technical Writing in an iPad World, and Video Production.
Renovation/Addition
As a result of the Master Plan, CHA has designed several larger projects: a 4,000 SF middle school addition, a 12,000 SF, 6-classroom STEM addition to the Scamman Science Building, and a dormitory.
Saco, ME
Client
Thornton Academy
Project Type
Architectural Capabilities
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Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School is located in the heart of Brunswick in an older residential neighborhood where many students can walk to school. Architectural elements from the old Art Deco high school that had stood on the site were salvaged and reused.
Location
At 13 acres, the site is modest and long, which resulted in a “linear village” of five connected sections, each with a distinctive spatial “break” and orientation to the street. The linear village starts to the east at Spring Street with a single-story library and fine arts wing with low-pitched roofs surrounded by mature oak trees and a pedestrian-friendly relationship to the quiet street.
Project Type
Each of the five sections has a distinct use, yet harmonizes with the whole through shared materials and colors. The building runs from east to west, so all classrooms and major spaces receive natural daylighting, and views to the neighborhood are emphasized. Particular attention was paid to the design of the classrooms, where every room has access to a shared tutorial small group room (see below, orange stools). Coats and boots stay in lockers in the hallway while large knapsacks are hung on pegs in the classroom. Classroom storage was maximized with tall shelving units, counters, and locked cabinet wardrobes. The entire school is heated and air conditioned by a closed-loop geothermal system with an expected 8-year payback
Brunswick, ME
Client
Brunswick School Department New Construction - 97,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Great Falls Elementary School After a three-year search, the Building Committee located a rural site that would provide for town water and sewer and underground voice/data utilities. The 23.5-acre parcel is historic farmland adjacent to protected conservation land. The school design responds to view corridors, solar orientation, and an existing residential neighborhood. The academic classroom wing separates the student population into five small learning communities, three on the first floor and two on the second. The learning communities are oriented around the school library, which has access to a wide outdoor courtyard. The school library and the pre-k/kindergarten classrooms form the heart of the academic learning communities. Each learning community has its own “educational commons” for exploratory projects related to science, ecology, and the arts. The building consciously maximizes northern and southern orientation for daylight harvesting for all classroom areas. This high-performance school incorporates automatic daylighting controls, geothermal ground source heat pumps, solar hot water vacuum tubes for domestic hot water, CO2 on-demand ventilation, and a high-performance building envelope with air barrier system and extra insulation. The community’s desire for a building with extensive pitched roofs gave us large attic mezzanines, so all mechanical equipment was brought indoors, where it is protected from the weather and reduces noise transmission.
Location
Gorham, ME
Client
Gorham School Department
Project Type
New Construction - 84,000 SF
Education - College & University
CHA has worked with more than 300 colleges and universities throughout the country. We’ve learned the schools that attract and develop the best and brightest students offer cutting-edge technological centers, serene study areas, quality athletic facilities, comfortable and secure dormitories, and a safe, well-lit, wellmaintained campus. The CHA team excels at designing facilities, athletic venues and creative learning spaces educators and coaches need to nurture young minds and propel winning teams.
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Kalikow Education Center The challenge of the Education Center design was to fashion an environmentally sensitive building by adopting the LEED criteria on a modest ($145/sf) budget while at the same time providing architecture that facilitated teaching and learning.
Location
The building is oriented to take advantage of solar energy and natural daylighting. It is heated and cooled by a geothermal heat pump system that circulates water through closed-loop wells to draw warmth from the earth in winter and return it in summer.
Project Type
Sloped ceilings in some south-facing rooms reflect sunlight into the working areas of offices and classrooms. A welcoming student lounge near the entry provides study and social space. The Farmington campus is known for its “green” stance, from the students to the president, so the design has taken advantage of an array of sustainable materials and practices: • • • • • • • • • •
Geothermal heating and cooling High-performance wall systems Local materials and workmanship Incentives for recycling and responsible transportation Landscape design using native plants and no irrigation Use of existing site with water and sewer hookups Recycled materials in carpeting, wall panels, and furniture Recycling of construction materials High recycled content in structural steel Low-emission paints and flooring materials
Farmington, ME
Client
University of Maine Farmington New Construction - 44,500 SF
Architectural Capabilities 1
2
3
4
5
6
A
Art
242.85 SF
Pre-K Classroom
Pre-K Classroom
1489.21 SF
1476.66 SF
Multipurpose Room 486.99 SF
Observation Room
Observation Room
127.33 SF
Vestibule
B
Vestibule
104.00 SF
60.00 SF
60.00 SF
ADA Restroom
Infant and Toddler Room
64.00 SF
904.48 SF
64.00 SF
ADA Restroom 76.99 SF
School Age Classroom
ADA Restroom
ADA Restroom
64.00 SF
1200.93 SF
8' - 0"
Janitorial Closet
Meeting / Lactation
92.67 SF
105.88 SF
Shared Office Space
Staff Lounge/Break Room
372.38 SF
IT
100.13 SF
137.53 SF
Laundry Undergrad/Grad Classroom 586.90 SF
52.54 SF
Secure Entry
152.76 SF
Director Office 150.94 SF
C
E
1
Level 1 - Working - SD Option 1 1/8" = 1'-0"
UMF ECEC
Schematic Design Plan
Vestibule 117.31 SF
Kitchen 454.20 SF
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Early Childhood Education Center CHA was hired to collaborate with the University of Maine at Farmington’s Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education faculty as well as the teachers and staff at the university’s existing Sweatt-Winter Childcare Center on their new Early Childhood Education Center. CHA conducted space planning and visioning exercises with the Building Committee as well as the nine different stakeholder groups the Building Committee assembled to ensure all voices were heard. These intensive information-gathering activities allowed our design team to engage with end users from all perspectives in order to craft a strong vision statement of what the wider community desired. The Early Childhood Education Center nurtures growth of the children, students, teachers and professors it serves by providing a safe environment from which curiosity, discovery and independence ripple outward. The Building Committee and design team are moving forward with transforming a former 10,000 SF former banking call center into the university’s new early childhood education center to better serve community families, university students, university faculty and the teachers and staff of the childcare center.
Location
Farmington, ME
Client
University of Maine Farmington
Project Type
Renovation - 10,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Maine Center Ventures Classroom at Payson Smith Hall CHA was engaged by the University of Southern Maine to re-imagine the possibilities for the University’s abandoned circa 1960 chemistry lab. The project team was tasked with adapting the existing space to create a flat floor connected classroom, meeting room, and multi-use breakout space to serve as the first dedicated teaching space for the University’s Maine Center Ventures (MCV) program. MCV sought a clean, contemporary space that could function as an instructional space, and also a meeting and gathering space for board meetings, receptions and other events. With input from the MCV and facilities teams, renovation work began in the Payson Smith Hall chemistry lab. Removal of lab counters, equipment storage, fume hoods, chemical storage and even an emergency shower gave the team a clean slate ready to re-envision. The new MCV space features a TEAL (Technology Enabled Active Learning) classroom capable of connecting to the University’s main campus in Orono, a breakout incubator space known as the “Lab” and a boardroom featuring artwork with a nod to the building’s history.
Location
Portland, ME
Client
University of Southern Maine
Project Type
Renovation - 1,500 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Science Building Lobby Renovation What began as a very straightforward light-touch renovation to USM’s 1970s-era Science Building became an opportunity to enliven a building that is frequented by students and campus visitors.
Location
Large-scale images were introduced to fill the walls over the benches where students gather to sit and study. Today’s visitors are used to having all kinds of images available at their fingertips, but here they are introduced to the dramatic, powerful detail of the sciences on a much larger graphic scale.
University of Southern Maine
The 10 x 10-foot images explode with color and provoke viewers to question what it is they are seeing. The 18-foot image from the Hubble Space Telescope of the Orion Nebula is the siren attracting visitors downstairs to the Southworth Planetarium.
Portland, ME
Client
Project Type Renovation
Architectural Capabilities
Art Gallery Retrofit To improve building performance the University of Southern Maine conducted a deep energy retrofit on the historically designated Art Gallery. In the past the building served as the town of Gorham’s meeting hall and as such the project received attention from several residents interested in preserving the historic character of the building. After the completion of the project inappropriate modifications were called to the attention of the Maine State Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC). Due to these events CHA was hired by USM to examine the inappropriate modifications with the MHPC and develop historically appropriate repairs. The modifications identified included the historic column bases and window shutters. Through research the correct historically appropriate details were confirmed with MHPC and construction details were developed and installed.
Location
Gorham, ME
Client
University of Southern Maine
Project Type
Renovation - 2,560 SF
Housing
To us, best practices in housing involve thinking through the daily lives of the people who will live there. It’s a process of imagining the ways the design can make their lives easier, safer, and more comfortable, both inside and outside the building, from the interior design of the individual units, accessibility, entrances and views, and building amenities to parking and connections to the neighborhood, public transportation and healthcare. And every project is as energyefficient and low-maintenance as we can make it, with a high proportion of usable space and natural light.
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62 Spring Street This new 4-story apartment building will introduce 32 affordable housing units, 9 market rate housing units, and a retail space accessed to the greater community by a bus stop adjacent to the building. The development affords it’s residents access to a walkable downtown, locating residents of all ages close to the city’s center. Easy connectivity to services, grocery store, City Hall, the Public Library, Androscoggin River Walk, and more contribute to a pedestrian friendly development.
Location
Auburn, ME
Client
Auburn Housing Development
Project Type
New Construction - 34,430 SF
Architectural Capabilities
Page 45
917 Main Street his three-unit live/work project is patterned after urban brownstone walk-up structures. Tall, vertical lines and exterior materials define each unit individually. Contemporary bay windows mark the street-level commercial entrances, as well as making a gesture to New England residential building patterns. These units will act as a small hub of street activity, bringing new vitality to Main Street and connecting to the riverfront. The first floor of each unit opens to the street with 250 SF of commercial or studio space and a rear-entry garage. The ground-floor commercial spaces are designed for artisans or small businesses. One-car heated garages include extra storage space. Upstairs are 1,200 SF of living space on the second and third floors. Each unit has a bathroom on each floor and two bedrooms and a deck on the third floor. Special attention has been paid to high-performance construction, low-maintenance materials, contemporary finishes, and innovative energy systems.
Location
Westbrook, ME
Client
Westbrook Housing
Project Type
New Construction
Architectural Capabilities
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Adams School Condominiums This project, on the Marada Adams School site on Munjoy Hill, covers 1.5 acres in a residential neighborhood. Once bisected by Beckett Street, the site has been a school and neighborhood playground/green space since 1958.
Location
The design criteria were clear: reclaim a brownfield site, contribute to the family housing mix on Munjoy Hill, provide a neighborhood green space, and design buildings to reflect the surrounding 19th- and early 20thcentury housing. Off-street parking is incorporated between the rows of buildings.
Project Type
The park, which keeps the sightlines of Beckett Street open, provides a pedestrian and bicycle pathway, a playground, and a gathering space.
Portland, ME
Client
Avesta Housing New Construction
Architectural Capabilities
Page 49
Meetinghouse Lofts The 1927 former Roosevelt School has been converted into one- and two-bedroom condominium units that take advantage of the high ceilings and oversized windows of the historic building. The units are designed to provide single-level living in the Meetinghouse Hill neighborhood.
Location
The retrofit aims for a high-performance, energy-efficient building while preserving the historic school. The property, long a public space, has been kept open, with a public walkway through the grounds. The former school building houses ten units, while nine occupy a 3-story contemporary addition.
Project Type
Building amenities include covered parking, an elevator, a fitness center, indoor storage, gas fireplaces, energy-efficient appliances, and high-grade interior finishes. John Calvin Stevens designed the Roosevelt School, built in 1927-28, as a neighborhood elementary school on Meetinghouse Hill in South Portland. The east-facing brick and cast stone [-shaped building served as a public school until 1983. By 2014, when developer Ethan Boxer-Macomber acquired the empty building from the city, neighbors recalled it as “run down and a liability” (in Keep Me Current, 12/3/15). The exterior of the building was cleared of vines, repaired and repointed. Historic entries, doors, and transoms were restored; no new window openings were cut. High-quality custom replacement windows match the original mullion pattern. All of the units on the historic side of the building have remarkable light from deep windows, and some have exposed brick walls. Public entries and lobbies have been cleaned, painted, and carpeted.
South Portland, ME
Client
Anew Real Property Development Renovation/Addition - 30,620 SF
Awards
Historic Historic Preservation Award, Greater Portland Landmarks, 2016 Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2016
Architectural Capabilities
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Pearl Place II, 180 Pearl Street The second phase of Avesta’s Pearl Place project extends the redevelopment of the emerging Bayside section of the city with 54 new apartments. The project is within walking distance of Portland’s major amenities, schools, parks, food markets, shopping, City Hall, the public library, and the University of Southern Maine.
Location
One-, two-, and three-bedroom units for qualifying families have access to free wifi, on-site laundry, and a community room with a kitchen. In response to concerns about coastal sea-level rise, the design tucks parking underneath the building.
New Construction - 59,047 SF
This project has received LEED Platinum Certification under the LEED for Homes Multifamily Midrise program.
Portland, ME
Client
Avesta Housing
Project Type Awards
Awarded LEED Platinum, LEED for Homes Midrise
Architectural Capabilities
Page 53
New Dormitory Thornton Academy, founded as Saco Academy in 1811, is a historic independent school educating 6-12th graders in the Greater Portland area. To provide space for a growing population of full-time and seasonal/ summer students, Thornton Academy contracted CHA to design a new dormitory that could not only house more students and families but also protect their privacy from the nearby Main Street (RT 1) while relating aesthetically to the other two dormitories on campus. Furthermore, the design had to meet strict historic district requirements pertaining to the more than two-century-old academy. The 22,700 SF, two-floor dormitory features 26 double occupancy dormitory rooms, four dorm parent apartments (3 bedroom/2 bath), two student commons rooms, two community kitchens, a laundry room, and an office. To maintain a residential feel, CHA’s design broke up the dormitory’s long façade with changes in wall planes, porches and material colors.
Location Saco, ME
Client
Thornton Academy
Project Type
Renovation - 22,700 SF
Office & Corporate
Our person-focused philosophy is reflected in our specialized approach to corporate environments, allowing us to create practical, energy-efficient, well-built buildings that are attractive places to work. The ideal office environment allows you to thrive as an employee and enhances the quality of your work. To help you get the best out of your time at the office, CHA Architecture has real conversations with you and your team. Together, we will create a space that works for your organization now but also looks ahead to your future.
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First and Sixth Floor Interior Renovation The client asked for a dramatic, elegant upgrade to the 1st and 6th floors. CHA’s interior designer replaced a dated color scheme with a more dramatic, higher-contrast, and reflective environment to bring a fresher, contemporary feel to this workplace.
Location
On the first floor, the renovation included the public lobby, staff entrance lobby, conference rooms, offices, bathrooms, the mail room, and the Safety Academy; on the sixth floor, open offices, break room, and conference room.
Project Type
In the front lobby new updated finishes and lighting make the space brighter, safer, and more welcoming. In the elevator lobby, a floating ceiling conceals new LED lighting and existing ductwork, while new flooring, wallcoverings, and decorative backlit resin panels with embedded twigs illuminate this formerly dark space.
Saco, ME
Client
MEMIC Renovation - 22,700 SF
Architectural Capabilities
Page 59
Route I CCFCU Branch CHA designed a new free standing branch in compliance with Yarmouth’s recently enacted form based code. This code proscribes the relationship between the building and the street, the massing, the number of windows and incorporates a lot of smart growth principles into the new development standards.
Location
CHA Architecture worked with the town and the design team to strike a balance for the needs of the client and create a pleasant distinctive branch that is well positioned on the site. The building mass acts as a natural “billboard” for the credit union. The interior design materials and details incorporated a fresh new interpretation of the color palette used in some of the other branches.
Project Type
The first floor incorporates a banking hall, cash room, teller line, four offices, large conference room and support facilities. The second floor contains support space and an employee breakroom.
Yarmouth, ME
Client
Cumberland County Federal Credit Union Renovation and Addition - 3,339 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Maine Plastic Surgery Center Maine Plastic Surgery worked with CHA to design a boutique medical practice that balanced the client’s desire for a high-end aesthetic with the functional demands of their clinically based business. The organization of the client’s program became the main driver for the layout of the space which was clearly divided into three contiguous sections. From the third-floor elevator lobby there are two patient entry points at opposite ends that separate and distinguish the consultation/ spa functions of the practice from the clinical procedure functions. An unmarked staff entry is tucked between the two, providing the backstage office and support functions for staff to efficiently access from both sides. The need for privacy and discretion influenced the layout and patient flow throughout the facility. The office interior design has a modern elegance meets industrial aesthetic. A rich mix of sharply contrasting interior finishes include blackened steel, white quartz, patterned glass and reclaimed barn wood inspired by Maine’s rocky coast. Finishes for clinical areas were appropriately selected for their infection prevention properties while maintaining a sense of warmth and adherence to the overall palette. High ceilings, oversized doors and decorative lighting enhance the feeling of elegance. Large windows flood the space with natural light and provide breathtaking views of the surrounding coastal marsh.
Location
Portland, ME
Client
Maine Plastic Surgery
Project Type
Renovation - 5,000 SF
Awards
Renovation - 5,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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Newsroom Renovation Maine Today Media, in the midst of updating technology and consolidating staff locations, retained Lisa Whited of Workplace Transformation Facilitation to lead a process to re-envision their workplace organization. The client wanted to consolidate offices and move the newsroom and associated departments from One City Center in Portland to the former press hall on Gannett Drive in South Portland. CHA was brought in to collaborate on the renovation of this industrial building. The old presses filled a 3-story space with an industrial high-bay ceiling. The compact new presses fit in the lower floor, making room to infill the floor above. The new double-height editorial floor includes the newsroom, dining/break area, conference spaces, and audio and video production studios. All of the news staff, including the publisher, sit in the newsroom, where the desks are arranged to funnel news toward the editors in the center of the space. Large media screens are mounted on the walls. The main newsroom is surprisingly quiet, but one large conference room, small focus and huddle rooms around the perimeter, and the video booth in the center provide private meeting spaces. The glass partitions around the conference rooms double as writing surfaces for presentations.
Location Saco, ME
Client
Thornton Academy
Project Type
Renovation - 15,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
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50 Sewall Street This building is, to our knowledge, the first LEED-certified commercial office building in Maine. Designed and built as a medical office building to rent at market rates, it represents a new generation of LEED construction at costs competitive with conventional construction.
Location
Among its LEED credits are a heat-recovery system, reduced light pollution, water-efficient fixtures, a high-albedo roof, recycling of construction materials, use of certified lumber and materials with recycled content, bike storage and showers, and a tenant education program. CHA also designed the interior tenant fitup for Advanced Physical Therapy on the first floor.
Project Type
Portland, ME
Client
OA Centers for Orthopaedics New Construction - 42,000 SF
Sports & Recreation
Each year, the athletic and recreation landscape reinvents itself with new regulations, changing funding sources, materials, technologies, and other challenges. Our nationally renowned sports professionals translate the industry’s changing demands into buildable, affordable and exciting sports facilities. We blend high-quality designs with a modern perspective to create venues that foster unique, personal experiences with each visit.
Architectural Capabilities
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Marcelle Athletic Center CHA completed the multiple-phased planning, design and construction administration services for the renovation and additions to the College’s existing athletic and recreation building. This project began with preparing a master planning study that resulted in many alternatives to systematically improve the College’s student recreation and athletic facility over time. The primary focus of these renovations was to update the existing facilities to align with expectations of Division I Athletics and to better align themselves with peer institutions. A modest addition, internal reconfiguration and repurposing of existing spaces for more efficient use provided additional and enhanced athletic, recreational and wellness opportunities for the athletes, faculty, staff and general student body. The planning and phasing of the renovation was such that it met the College’s anticipated funding streams as well as allowed for the continuous use of the building by all users during construction. This was accomplished by minimizing work during the school calendar and maximizing the utilization of summer breaks. The renovation included the development of a dedicated basketball practice gymnasium, transformation of the existing competition gymnasium into an arena, including new high performance wood floors, new retractable seating, new audio system, scoreboard, a new building addition for dedicated spectator entrance to the gymnasium/arena, new expanded athlete strength and conditioning suite, new modern sports medicine and hydrotherapy suite, a 6,000 SF 2-story addition to the existing fitness center, renovation of the existing fitness center, eSports studio and various improvement to the athletic locker facilities. The four phased approach to renovating this building allowed the College to take bite size pieces but provided high-impact changes that not only enhance the athletic experience for athletes and spectators but also provides superior recreational and fitness opportunities for the faculty, staff and general student body.
Location
Loudonville, NY
Client
Siena College
Project Type
Renovation - 40,500 SF
Architectural Capabilities
Page 71
Kirby Arena CHA renovated the tired existing multipurpose gymnasium/arena with new chair-back seating, new 4-sided video scoreboard and enhanced graphics and banners for a more intimate and exciting practice and competition venue. The project included painting all surfaces and somewhat reducing the seat count for more spectator comfort.
Location
Easton, PA
Client
Lafayette College
Project Type
Renovation - 110,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
Page 73
John H. Burr Gymnasium The John H. Burr Gymnasium complex serves both Howard Division I sports teams as well as recreation and academic needs. CHA was engaged to upgrade the facility with respect to image, codes, mechanical, electrical and programmatic needs. A focus was placed on cost effective but dramatic visual and functional improvements. Upgrades include renovated offices and classrooms, new team lockers and lounges, upgraded arena, new lobby, and upgraded spectator support areas.
Location
Washington, DC
Client
Howard University
Project Type
Renovation - 150,000 SF
Architectural Capabilities
Page 75
Houston Gym CHA was engaged to develop a comprehensive master plan for the aging gymnasium facility and surrounding athletic fields. The project required developing temporary facilities in an adjacent building to allow for sequenced construction and continuous occupancy. The Houston Gym project renovated the 95,000 SF athletic complex which included a new entry lobby addition, facade renovation/transformation with windows to allow more natural light, a new modern fitness center, dedicated year round team locker rooms, a state-of-the-art sports medicine and rehabilitation suite, expanded varsity weight room, new student-athlete academic center, three updated racquetball courts, a multipurpose and spinning studio, new offices and conference rooms updated practice gymnasium and modernization to the competition pool and associated mechanical equipment. The design and the construction materials, methods and systems were provided to be environmentally conscious to achieve the coveted LEED Gold certification to ensure a high-performance building while minimizing the carbon footprint. Specialty graphics and other interior enhancements including wayfinding transformed the existing building into a state-of-the-art athletic and recreational complex that the Buffalo State College Community will be proud of for years to come.
Location
Buffalo, NY
Client
Buffalo State College
Square Footage
Renovation - 95,000 SF
Project Type
LEED Gold Certified
Architectural Capabilities
Page 77
Monroe Community College PAC Center Athletic Field House The PAC Center is a 56,000 SF multi-purpose athletic facility featuring an indoor turf field, large fitness and training facilities, and a range of high end user amenities. CHA was challenged to meet a short four month design timeline that included ambitious sustainability targets. The facility received a LEED Gold Certification and includes high efficiency systems that provide occupants with a healthy indoor environment.
Location
Rochester, NY
Client
Monroe Community College
Project Type
New Construction - 56,000 SF
Awards
LEED Gold Certified “Silver Award” for Structural Systems, ACEC of New York, 2010 “High Performance Building Plaque”, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) “Project of the Year” Award for Structures American Public Works Association (APWA), 2009
Architectural Capabilities
Page 79
Miller A. Bugliari ‘52 Athletic Facility CHA provided full site, architectural, and engineering design services from programming through construction for the new 46,000 SF sports facility on the Pingry School Martinsville campus. The facility features a three-court multi-use gymnasium, 5,000 SF strength and conditioning center, eight premier competition squash courts and seating, and several changing rooms. The building also features an Athletics Hall of Fame with an interactive digital photo archive.
Location
Basking Ridge, NJ
Client
The Pingry School
Project Type
New Construction - 46,000 SF
