Project
Furman University
Charles H. Townes Center for Science
Project Location
Greenville, SC
Industries
Services
General Contracting, Preconstruction
Square Footage
120,000 (Renovation), 80,000 (New)
Schedule Duration
25 months
Furman University Charles H. Townes Center for Science
Scope
Complete renovation of an existing science building, Plyler Hall, linked to the new South Addition and North Addition
Structural steel with composite metal and concrete slab. Exterior finishes include brick veneer, glass curtain-wall and aluminum-plate panels
LEED® Gold certified with thermal solar panels, day lighting, and an energy-efficient cooling system using chilled beams, a technology widely used in Europe
Highlights
Central reading room with walls built on a radius, a science library, classrooms, office space and research laboratories for physics, biology and chemistry, and a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) lab
Lecture hall and auditorium, a planetarium with a 24-foot diameter dome, and a detached greenhouse
Named after Furman graduate and Greenville native Charles Hard Townes, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1964 for his role in development of the laser
Only two chilled-beam cooling systems were in use in the U.S. at the time of construction