Massachusetts Maritime Academy New Cadet Housing

Buzzard’s Bay, MA
Coastal Cadet Dormitory Doubles as Conference Center

Emery Rice Hall and Maritime Conference Center stands at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal, on the site of the former Beachmoor Inn. Bruner/Cott Architects designed the 30,722-square-foot building for the Massachusetts State College Building Authority and Massachusetts Maritime Academy, stacking two floors of wood-framed cadet housing above a ground floor of amenity and event space. Each residential floor holds 18 double rooms and a shared common space, for 72 cadets in all. The ground floor combines a lobby, multipurpose event space, catering kitchen, and conference rooms designed to generate summer revenue for the Academy. Petersen Engineering served as MEP/FP engineer of record and provided energy modeling for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Challenge

The site’s coastal location exposes the building to flooding, gale-force winds, and extreme rainfall. Its dual use as a dormitory and a summer conference center complicated the HVAC design, since different zones can require heating and cooling at the same time. The residential-scale building also needed commercial-grade systems. As a publicly bid project, it demanded an especially high level of care to capture every design detail at submission.

Solution

We designed the building with a variable refrigerant flow/air-source heat pump (VRF/ASHP) system. Resiliency rooms on emergency power let cadets shelter in place, and elevated mechanical and electrical equipment reduces the risk of extended service loss during extreme weather. The electrical room sits on the top floor, above the flood plain.

Results

Completed in Fall 2022, the hall houses 72 cadets during the academic year. Its conference center, which seats 200 and includes three breakout rooms and a catering kitchen, has already hosted regional events, including the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce’s Big Blue Conference.

Project Details

Client

Mass Maritime Academy

Architect

Bruner/Cott

Timeline

Design phase – completed March 2021; Construction phase – commenced summer 2021. Project completed – Fall 2022.

Services Provided by Petersen Engineering

MEP/FP Engineer of Record, ASHRAE 90.1 LEED energy modeling and consulting