University of Pennsylvania, Amy Gutmann Hall

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Project details
Client

University of Pennsylvania

Architect

Lake | Flato Architects, KSS Architects

Duration

Completion expected in 2024

Services provided by Buro Happold

Analytics, Building Services Engineering (MEP), Lighting design, Structural engineering

Buro Happold is involved in the development of the evolving innovation ecosystem in Philadelphia. As part of our growing portfolio of work in the area, we were engaged by the University of Pennsylvania on a new Data Science Building, Amy Gutmann Hall, named in honor of Penn’s longest-serving President.

The 116,000ft², 6 floor mass timber building’s planned academic features include active learning classrooms and collaboration spaces; a data science hub; research centers for new socially aware data science methodologies and novel, bio-inspired paradigms for computing; and laboratories that will develop data-driven, innovative approaches for safer and more cost-effective healthcare.

Challenge

A key challenge on the project was to create a space that will serve as a hub for cross-disciplinary collaborations to harness expertise, research, and data across Penn’s 12 schools and numerous academic centers. Furthering this goal, the client’s aspirations were to create an environment that connects occupants, who work in a digital world, back to the natural environment. 

UPENN Amy Gutmann Hall Interior Lobby. Rendering: Lake | Flato, KSS Architects

Solution

Teamed with Lake | Flato and KSS Architects, Buro Happold is providing structural and MEP engineering as well as lighting design and analytics services on the new mass timber data science building.

The building is envisioned as a space to centralize resources that will advance the work of scholars across a wide variety of fields while making the tools and concepts of data analysis more accessible to the entire community.

Buro Happold are thoughtful from a design stand point, intelligent and sophisticated. They understand the bigger picture. They have been a partner in realizing the vision for the building; they are skilled in explaining the impact of the engineering decisions on the design intent.

Mayva Donnon, Partner, KSS Architects
UPENN Amy Gutmann Hall Exterior Closeup. Rendering: Lake | Flato, KSS Architects

Value

Upon completion in 2024, Amy Gutmann Hall will centralize resources that will advance the work of scholars across a wide variety of fields while making the tools and concepts of data analysis more accessible to the entire Penn community. The building will be Philadelphia’s first Mass Timber building, and at 6 stories tall, it will be one of the tallest Mass Timber structures in the region.

The system both reduces the building’s carbon footprint by 52% relative to concrete and 41% relative to steel and creates a warm, tactile and welcoming environment.

They are a firm that you want to use on aspirational projects, and in particular on projects pursuing high-level sustainability goals.

Andrew Sniderman, Associate, KSS Archiects
UPENN Amy Gutmann Hall Interior Lobby. Rendering: Lake | Flato, KSS Architects