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10-06-06
REDC to Add Lecture Hall, Adjacent Parking Structure
As part of its growth initiatives, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, plans to add a two-floor lecture hall to its new Research and Economic Development Center (REDC, pronounced and commonly referred to as the “Red C”) as well as an adjacent parking structure.
Designed by Weber Murphy Fox, Inc., the plans call for a two-floor addition on the east side of the REDC that will be oriented to take advantage of the site’s natural slope near the woods further east. The main level of the lecture hall addition will be accessible from the central corridor of the existing REDC building. It will include the entry foyer, pre-function mezzanine and access to the 200-seat tiered lecture hall. Doors at the top of the lecture hall will open to an exterior patio, designed to provide an outdoor space for breaks and casual conversation.
The lower floor of the lecture hall addition will be connected to the ground floor of the REDC. This floor will hold the lower front portion of the lecture hall, which includes about 50 of the 200 seats, an office, and storage and mechanical spaces.
Equipped with a state-of-the-art audio visual system, the addition will provide teaching space for the college’s schools and departments. It also will serve as a venue for special events for students and the public alike, including the guest speakers and lecture series hosted by Penn State Behrend.
The lecture hall addition was anticipated and planned for during the construction of the REDC. Part of the original concept for the facility, the lecture hall needed to be removed due to budget concerns.
The new 182-space parking deck at Penn State Behrend will be built adjacent to the REDC to address the parking needs of faculty, staff and students. Vehicles will enter and exit from Technology Drive on the west, and pedestrians can access the deck from the REDC and Technology Drive. An additional walkway will connect to Knowledge Park, providing another link to campus.
The first level of the deck contains six Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-approved spaces. Parking is arranged on two-way parking bays that ramp up the facility’s three levels, which have similar configurations. A glass enclosed stair and elevator tower faces the REDC. The integration of the deck into the sloping topography allows pedestrian access to the second level.
Weber Murphy Fox also designed the parking deck, and planned an exterior of brick, concrete and glass to match the REDC building. The structure is designed to allow for a future expansion with the construction of additional levels.
Both the REDC addition and parking deck are scheduled to be completed in 2007. For more information, visit www.pserie.psu.edu/redc online. |
