Percival Hall

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Firm

Matz Collaborative Architects, Inc.

Client

Fitchburg State University

Area

32,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$8,576,000

Completion Date

12/2020

Keitaro Yoshioka; Joshua Touster; Matz Collaborative Architects Inc.

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Percival Hall holds a significant position both physically and historically on the campus of Fitchburg State University. The building was constructed in the early 1900s to serve as an on-campus elementary school for teacher education. This project has modernized the 100-plus-year-old facility to serve as the home for the university’s business school. Although the project features advanced presentation spaces, modern case room lecture facilities and classrooms, the design of interior spaces enhances and restores the historical character of this important place on campus. The project takes advantage of existing passive ventilation shafts to support return air for a modern energy recovery unit installed in the attic. It replaces the existing steam radiator system and provides modern ventilation and cooling throughout. The existing auditorium space was repurposed to serve as a presentation suite with two case rooms and two smaller advanced presentation classroom spaces. A “board room” space serves as collaboration area, classroom, and simulated board room space for student use. Significant access improvements throughout the building enlarge classroom entries and provide access on both sides of the building to create a modern facility welcoming to all students.