PROJECT St. Mary's College of Maryland Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center and Learning Commons

ARCHITECT GWWO Architects:GWWO: Mark Lapointe, Chris Elcock, Lauren Park, Samir Taylor, Matthew Ames, Nia Young, Gene Bauer, Ariana Parrish; GUND: David Zenk, Rena Yang, Graham Gund, Marissa Desmond, Christine VerbitzkiDesign Architect: GUND Partnership
GENERAL CONTRACTOR Holder Construction
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Michael Vergason Landscape Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Hope Furrer Associates
CIVIL ENGINEER Site Resources
MECHANICAL ENGINEER Mueller Associates
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Mueller Associates
PHOTOGRAPHER/RENDERER Tom Holdsworth
 

LOCATION  St. Mary’s City, Maryland, US​

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  9/1/2022

The new Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center and Learning Commons at St. Mary’s College of Maryland integrate new program spaces into the core academic district, knitting the spaces together with campus housing to the north and enlivening and energizing the learning environment.

Located on the St. Mary’s River, the campus’ architectural character and scale are of an Academic Tidewater Village. The design uses the vocabulary of the architectural context to unify the two new buildings in the campus’ overall composition while allowing key program elements to be expressed and celebrated. The entrance to the performing arts center is highly visible from the academic core, creating a strong connection between the new facility and the heart of the campus. The learning commons sits on the northern edge of a new green space and helps to define the area between the nearby Crescent Townhomes and academic core.

The centerpiece of the new performing arts center is the 700-seat auditorium designed to host a range of performances and activities, with 450 seats on the main floor and 250 in surrounding tiers and the balcony. Inside, the building houses a recital hall, box office, green room, music practice rooms and teaching studios, choral library, instrument and records storage, and offices. The learning commons features a new study commons—accessible all hours of the day for students to read, research, collaborate, and concentrate—as well as a café, vending area, kitchen, Education Studies curriculum center, offices, and seminar rooms. The design implements numerous sustainable strategies, and the complex achieved LEED Silver certification.

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