Penn State Behrend Federal House Renovation & Addition in Erie, Pennsylvania by GBBN

Article source: GBBN

With a gentle touch, the newest addition to campus preserves the past and prepares the future.

The oldest brick structure in the area, the Federal House at Penn State Behrend is gracefully preserved and repurposed by an expansive addition. A light and spacious modern barn slips into the steeply graded site linking to the restored Federal House by way of an elegant, glass bridge to preserve and elevate the historically significant building.

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

• Architects: GBBN
• Project: Penn State Behrend Federal House Renovation & Addition
• Location: Erie, Pennsylvania
• Photography: Brad Feinknopf
  
• Client: Penn State Behrend
• Gross Built Area: 11,000 SF
  
• Completion Year: 2022

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

At the same time, the building provides a new home offices, classrooms, and event space for the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation (CORE), an effort by Penn State Behrend’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences. In a county where one in three children under the age of five live in poverty (in the city of Erie, PA it’s nearly half), CORE fosters positive youth development and a culture of hope through mentoring and education programs.

Creating a space of inclusion and security, the design communicates to its young visitors that they are valued. While the barn’s large, glass walls draw a compelling contrast to the solidity of the Federal House, the dark gray zinc panels of its roof echo the gabled roof of the historic building. The building is softened by a warm wood wrap that marks its entrance, welcoming its visitors, so whether they’re headed to mentoring sessions in the small classrooms on the second floor or the 80-person event space just inside the entrance, they know that this space is for them.

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © Brad Feinknopf

Image Courtesy © GBBN

Image Courtesy © GBBN

Image Courtesy © GBBN

Image Courtesy © GBBN

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Tags: Erie, Pennsylvania

Categories: Activity Center, House, Residential, Restoration

This entry was posted on Monday, May 1st, 2023 at 7:39 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.