West Chester University - Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Securing its position as a premier center for musical and theatrical performance, West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2006 opened a dynamic new academic building for music, theater, art and dance. The $29.7 million Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center provides the highest number of performance venues at any university or college in the Philadelphia area, offering a 375-seat proscenium theater, 120-seat recital hall and two additional stages. The 85,000 SF building also provides state-of-the-art practice studios that are fully sound isolated from each other, teaching facilities, offices, a recording studio, art gallery, music library and sculpture garden.
The building is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Heery was initially retained by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) to provide agency-construction management services during the pre-construction phase of the project. Heery evaluated the proposed construction schedule, project budget and conducted document reviews for constructability, consistency and economic viability of the selected materials. Prior to construction, DGS delegated the project to the university, making it directly responsible for project completion, which included accountability for any additional costs or time needed to execute the work. As a result, West Chester University hired Heery to provide full construction management services during the construction phase as its representative to help facilitate completion of a successful project. Services included a full-time on-site presence to provide administration of the project, contract administration and construction observation.
As soon as it opened, the building was a spectacular success, hosting both campus and community events, including visiting artists such as the Brandywine Ballet and local symphonies. Within months of completion, the project won the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America’s Project of the Year Award for higher education projects over $10 million.