The UMass Integrated Sciences Building combines life, chemical, and physical sciences all under one roof. The concept behind this integration is to support the growing interdisciplinary research teams and allow better interaction between the researchers and the students. The building includes a 300-seat auditorium equipped with a science demonstration station as well as a variety of classroom spaces.

From the early stages of the design, Acentech worked closely with Payette to create a science building that is suitable for both the researchers and the students. Acentech’s consulting focused on enabling good communication between the instructors and the students within the learning spaces. We designed audiovisual sytems for the 300-seat auditorium, classrooms, and teaching labs. The centerpiece of the building is the technologically advanced 300-seat auditorium. Each seat has its own power outlet and internet hook-up. The room features dual projectors, which can be split into four screens. A digital camera installed at the instructor’s table can project an experiment going on at the front of the room, or display the instructor’s documents.

Acentech provided acoustic design guidelines for various spaces within the building, including sound isolation of the various work areas, room acoustics, and mechanical system noise and vibration control.