The Gordon Center for Creative & Performing Arts at Colby College is a new two-story, 74,000 sf teaching and performance center designed to foster collaboration between its Music, Theater, and Dance departments. The project is pursuing LEED Gold and SITES Silver certifications.

In addition to the main program described in the project highlights, the building also includes a recording suite, dressing rooms, green rooms, rehearsal spaces for orchestral and choral ensembles as well as percussion and electronic music, a scene shop, a costume shop and faculty offices.

Vanderweil provided MEP/FP engineering and technology / security design services. The main mechanical system is comprised of overhead VAV with energy recovery. Air is distributed through low velocity ductwork with significant consideration for acoustical performance. Sound attenuators, duct lining and vinyl lagging are used to meet the low sound requirements of the spaces.

Displacement ventilation is utilized in the highly glazed, voluminous flexible studio and the forum floor is a radiant heating and cooling slab. The campus central plant is utilized for heating and domestic hot water with a new water cooled chiller plant for cooling. A 150 kW natural gas fired generator provides emergency and standby power for the new building.