Maine’s Bowdoin College Incorporates the State’s “Working Forest” Identity Into a Pair of New Mass Timber Buildings

Minnesota’s HGA has unveiled for the first time a new mass timber project that was completed earlier this year at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, according to a feature by Archinect (12-13-23).

The Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies project called for the construction of two opposing asymmetrical structures totaling 46,000 square feet to be used as educational and art exhibition spaces for students on the 207-acre campus.

According to Archinect, HGA says the high-performance envelopes of both structures will combine with the mass timber used in their structural systems to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of the project by some 75%.

The all-electric development is also powered without the use of any fossil fuels. Bowdoin College considers itself to be a nationwide leader in sustainable campus planning and will likewise use recent institutional investments in renewables both on- and off-campus to power 100% of its operation.

Rebecca Celis, principal and arts, community, and education sector leader at HGA, told Archinect that “This project was an opportunity for Bowdoin to further demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, not only through high-performance buildings but also by investing in generous, flexible learning, teaching, and research spaces. These buildings will grow Bowdoin’s education and research capabilities while embracing the college’s environmental ethos.”