To provide a high-performance building to house the School of Arts, Atelier Ten worked closely with the design team to create a welcoming venue where every space ensures a healthy environment for students, faculty, and visitors.
Lenfest Center for the Arts at Columbia University is a multi-art facility that contains a performance space, rehearsal spaces, gallery, screening room, presentation spaces, waiting and ticketing lobbies, and support spaces. The project is part of the university campus located in a densely urban New York City’s West Harlem neighborhood where it strives to integrate into the surrounding urban context. It enhances the neighborhood through an open space public plaza called the Small Square to the south of the building and community programming including students, faculty, and guest artists in film, theater, and visual arts, and open doors to local artists and students from Harlem and beyond.
The certified LEED Gold Lenfest Building design demonstrates an annual energy cost savings of 25% compared to a baseline design case. Our team identified significant energy drivers including space heating (due to the various event spaces with high outside air conditioning requirements) followed by general area lighting and equipment energy that includes level 4 performance space theater lighting. The energy savings are primarily due to an efficient ventilation system that our team assisted in selecting which incorporates demand control ventilation and exhaust air energy recovery. An efficient lighting system with daylight dimming and occupancy/vacancy sensors contribute to savings in lighting and cooling energy. Additionally, the façade and roof assembly are designed to the internal program requirements such as humidity control in the gallery, to create a high-performance envelope.
