THE PROJECT

Project Highlights
  • 27,000 SF addition to an aging 100-year-old facility
  • Tight site with direct adjacencies to other buildings
  • Iconic building on the NAU campus

Northern Arizona University, Kitt Recital Hall is a 255-seat recital hall designed to elevate performing arts on the NAU campus and in the community. Situated between the Clifford White Theater and the Ardrey Auditorium constructed in 1972 with adjacencies on three sides, the project includes a 27,000-square-foot addition as well as renovation of 6,800 square feet of existing space. The hall is designed to LEED certified criteria and includes choral and instrumental rehearsal rooms, libraries, and lobby space.

OUR IMPACT

REUSE of roof

structure for new floor framing

14 MONTH

construction schedule

$900,000 SAVED

from project cost to meet budget
Service Provided
  • Structural engineering

OUR SOLUTIONS

In order to meet a fixed budget for the project, the combined design and construction team worked closely in Design Development to cut $900,000 from the project cost to meet budget and allow the project to move forward. Time and cost were saved by reusing the existing roof framing and by using lightweight materials to reuse foundations.

A portion of the project was a vertical expansion to construct the new Instrument Rehearsal Rooms over the new Choral Room on the existing first floor. Rather than replace the steel beam roof framing on the 2nd level, MBJ redesigned the existing beams as composite floor beams and strengthened several steel girders to support the required floor loads. This approach reduced the steel required for the project and saved time and cost of demolition. At the 3rd level roof of the vertical expansion, MBJ designed lightweight steel joist framing supported by cold-formed metal stud bearing walls. This approach greatly reduced the load on existing foundations and saved time and cost of replacing these foundations adjacent to the existing structure.

To address the project’s acoustical challenges, the practice rooms adjacent to the recital hall were designed as a box within a box, which isolates the superstructure from the interior structures of the theater and auditorium on either side. The floating concrete floor slabs are supported on LDS rubber pads to isolate the floor along with uncoupled double walls and ceilings.

Location:

Flagstaff, AZ

Completed:

2018

Construction Cost:

$11,100,000

Owner:

Northern Arizona University

Architect:

RSP Architects

Contractor:

CORE Construction

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