Located several miles south of Savannah’s historic district, the 500 bed suite style Montgomery House is the residential heart of a micro-campus that also includes a 450-car parking garage, a digital media building, and dining venues. "Monty," as it is affectionately referred to by students and staff, was completed in August 2013 at a cost of $18 million and is 114,000SF. Located within a triangular 6.5-acre former industrial site, a modern design aesthetic is achieved using pre-cast concrete wall and floor panels with glass and steel accents.
SHAPE
In order to achieve such a fundamental transformation in such a short amount of time required a high level of collaboration and communication. Working with Dawson Architects, Clayco Construction, and the SCAD Design Group, the project was completed in a mere eighteen months using design-build delivery. The unique precast concrete structure required careful coordination from the entire team. But, once the panels were cast and shipped to the site, completion of the shell was achieved in a fraction of the time needed for other structural systems.
INSPIRE
Interior spaces were conceived as neutral canvases for the display of student, faculty and alumni artwork which enliven the building's loft-like aesthetic. Each floor has intimate and glassy "lounge-nests" which have become favorite spaces for students to see and be seen. There are three painting studios, study lounges, a conference room, video gaming room, and computer labs with views to a lushly landscaped courtyard. This project reflects SCAD's global reputation for cutting edge facilities and the imaginative students who live and learn there.
Passion + Perspective
In a residence hall, the space above the corridor ceiling fills up quickly with mechanical and fire protection equipment. We use sections to verify that the floor to floor and ceiling heights are adequate.
Understanding how the building sits within the environment is essential. This site diagram gives us important information on the opportunities and constraints of the site and informs the building placement.
Part of every project is gathering of actual finish samples and colors to present an overall complementary palette.
Sections at stairs helps us to understand the spatial relationships between floors.
We visit the site frequently during construction to check on progress. Here is an photo of the precast panels in place.
SCAD builds a residential experience that immerses students in the creative communities they're preparing to join.
