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Building Statistics

The new six-story Stephen A. Levin building is LEED Silver rated and houses research laboratories, teaching facilities, and study spaces designed for interactions between the different disciplines that the building will foster. Teaching rooms and offices run along the north side of the building and public spaces run along the south which will also have a white mesh metal screen overlay. The ornate sunscreen acts as a striking design element but is also an environmentally friendly way to shield the windows from too much sun exposure, providing an estimated 50 percent reduction of solar heat gain during summer months. The pattern of the white mesh sunscreen is designed to convey the branching and network structures found at all scales of biology as well as resonating in psychological, linguistic, and cognitive models. The remaining facade is clad in pre-patented copper panels whose fern-green hue compliment the buildings green roof and neighboring BioPond. On the lower level, between the auditorium and new undergraduate wet-labs is a spacious lounge designed with clustered seating arrangements and walls composed of magnetized panels of white glass that double as floor-to-ceiling dry-erase boards for informal collaboration.

Figure 1: Exterior rendering of the Stephen A. Levin Building

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General Overview:

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Building Name: Stephen A. Levin Building (Neural and Behavioral Sciences Building)

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Site: 425 S. University Avenue

Occupant Name: The University of Pennsylvania

Occupancy Group: A-3, B, & S-1

Occupancy Category: III

Construction Class: IB

Zoning District: SP-INS (Special Purpose – Institutional)

Size: 77,081 SF

Number of Stories: 5 Stories above grade / 6 Levels in total

Construction Dates: January, 2014 - April 14th, 2016

Project Budget: $68.6M

Project Cost: $68.6M

Project Delivery Method: Guaranteed Maximum Price

 

Project Team:

 

Owner: The University of Pennsylvania

Architect: Smith Group JJR

Landscape Architect: Christopher Allen

Construction Manager & General Contractor: P. Agnes

Structural Engineer: Smith Group JJR

MEP Engineer: Smith Group JJR

Civil Engineer: Pennoni Associates Inc.

Acoustics & AV: Shen Milsom & Wilke, LLC

Signage: InkSpot Design Inc.

Cost Estimating: Becker & Frondorf

Code Consultation: Hughes Associates

Vibration & Effluent: RWDI

Elevator: Knollwood Consulting, LLC

Geotechnical Investigation: Pennoni Associates Inc.

Survey: Pennoni Associates Inc.

 

Architecture:

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As an expansion of the Lynch Laboratories, attached to the south end of the Leidy Laboratories Building, the Stephen A. Levin Building and surrounding site was designed to create a link between the Universities academic environment and the surrounding community. The building was designed using modern elements and materials such as its copper façade, glass curtain walls, and white mesh sunscreen, but also utilizes recycled materials, a green roof, and garden to connect the architecture with the nature and sciences of the classes it fosters.

 

Codes:

 

Building Codes:            2009 International Building Code

Structural Codes:        Minimum Load Requirements for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-05)

                                      Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-08, and 315)

                                      Steel Construction Manual (AISC 13th Edition)

                                      Specification for the Design of Steel Hollow Structural Sections (AISC HSS 1997)

                                      Structural Steel Welding Code (ANSI/AWS D1.1-06/D1.3-98/D1.4-05)

                                      Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (ACI 530/ASCE 5)

                                      Specification for Masonry Structures (TMS 602-08/ ACI 530.1-08 / ASCE 6-08)

                                      Diaphragm Design Manual, Third Edition (SDI DDM03)

Fire Code:                     2006 International Fire Code (Philadelphia Fire Code)

                                      2007 Standards for Portable Fire Extinguishers (NFPA 10)

                                      2007 Installation of Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 13)

                                      2007 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems (NFPA 14)

                                      2007 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (NFPA 72)

                                      2007 Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives (NFPA 80)

Mechanical Code:        2009 International Mechanical Code

Energy Code:                2009 International Energy Conservation Code

Plumbing Code:           2009 International Plumbing Code

                                      2007 Philadelphia Plumbing Code

Electrical Code:           2009 International Electrical Code

                                      2008 National Electric Code (NFPA 70)

Accessibility Code:      2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design by the U.S. Department of Justice

                                      2003 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities

Additional Guidelines: 2000 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators (ASME A17.1)

                                      2002 Addenda (ASME A17.1A)

      

Building Enclosure:

 

Building Façade:

The building façade is comprised of a metal composite material wall panel on top of sub-framing with a thermal spacer separating that from the 3.5” MW-1, un-faced, semi-rigid mineral-wool insulation board rigid insulation. After the insulation layer there is a fluid-applied vapor-retarding membrane air barrier, 5/8” glass-mat gypsum wall sheathing, and exterior non-load bearing steel studs. On the south side of the building there is also a white mesh metal sunscreen designed to evoke magnified cellular tissue mounted on a giant microscope slide which helps to limit the amount of direct sunlight that penetrates the curtain wall behind it.

 

Window Systems:

Glazed aluminum curtain wall systems using glazing type 2 (GL-2) with a U-factor of 0.45 Btu/SF x h x deg F and maximum air leakage through fixed glazing and framing areas of 0.06 cfm/SF.

Figure 2: Image showing the make up of the building's facade

Figure 2: Image showing the building's facade

Sustainability Features:

Sustainability features of the Stephen A. Levin Building are apparent upon first glance of the structure. The new South Garden, located above the auditorium, will provide both a separation from the traffic of University Avenue and a park-like setting. The centerpiece of the garden is a bioswale crossed by a footbridge with seating, stone paving and a lawn make up the rest of the area. Along with these features the garden also provides for environmental storm-water management. Another major feature is the green roof on the top of the building which provides many teaching and learning opportunities while also respecting the biology faculty's close connection to the James G. Kaskey Memorial Garden, also known as the BioPond, by increasing access to the garden and making it more visible to the broader community. To encourage walking between floors rather than taking the elevator the floor plans were designed with open stairwells to make them more noticeable and appealing. On the building's first floor, the three new undergraduate wet labs are equipped with an air circulation and monitoring system that provides a constant supply of fresh-air to protect the lab occupants while reducing unnecessary air changes when the labs are not in use. Other, less noticeable features, range from recycled content in the flooring to Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood in the cabinets.

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