UMass Chan Medical School Penthouse

With a 60-year-old building aging beyond its useful life span, UMass Chan Medical School developed a multi-phased master construction plan to rejuvenate the building and allow it to extend its contribution to research and teaching on the UMass campus.

This project included a new 15,000-square-foot steel-framed penthouse on top of the 8th floor roof to allow essential electrical and mechanical upgrades to be put in place. The existing structure was reinforced with carbon fiber to allow the new equipment loading. The building remained occupied with active research in progress while construction occurred on the roof above and in the building. Other projects were also underway in the same building, demanding acute attention to detail and continuous communication between designers, contractors, facilities personnel, and end users to ensure public safety and minimal impact to ongoing operations.