William M. Lowman Concert Hall

“William Lowman Concert Hall is a counter-trend in an age where building costs escalate for
arts and civic projects. Museum buildings are becoming more expensive than the art in them:
what is amazing about this project is how skills can come to bear with technology to reverse the
cost trend.” Nate Wittasek, ARUP, Project Code Consultant

The design for the William M. Lowman Concert Hall grew from the Academy’s desire to
create a concert hall worthy of the talents of the students at one of the country’s top
three arts high schools. Sander Architects proposed a site at the heart of campus to
repurpose an unsightly parking lot, thereby creating a central gathering space for the
school community.

This project uses Sander Architects’ Hybrid Construction, which combines a
prefabricated structural system with custom design. By using prefabricated metal
frames to build the most expensive components at a fraction of typical costs, the client’s
budget can go much further.

From the start, Sander Architects collaborated with the acousticians to maximize the
acoustical brilliance of the hall. Inspired by the forest of trees surrounding campus,
Architect Whitney Sander used their erratic pattern to generate the ideal template to
scatter sound and create cleaner acoustics for the performers.

Additional Information