Bunker Hill Community College opened in the historic Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, MA, in 1973 and is now the largest community college in Massachusetts. The campus serves a student body of more than 9,000 students enrolled in day, evening, weekend, web-based and distance learning courses and programs.

The new Health & Wellness Center is the first new building on the campus in more than 30 years and is one of just two LEED Gold buildings in the 15-campus Massachusetts community college system. The new building – featuring architectural products from CENTRIA – is a spacious, 48,000-square-foot structure that provides classrooms, offices and state-of-the-art laboratories to serve the college’s rapidly-growing nurse education and health professions programs that train students for high-demand jobs in the regional economy.

The facility’s main lobby creates a dramatic first impression with large windows that flood it with natural light. The building also includes a gymnasium and a fitness center to promote the health and wellness of the entire college community. In addition, the center is designed to easily accommodate future expansion.

The architect was DiNisco Design Partnership, Ltd. of Boston, MA. The CENTRIA products dealer/installer was Maddison Associates, Inc. of Revere, MA. The contractor was Daniel O’Connell’s Sons of Holyoke, MA.

CENTRIA’s Concept Series Concealed Fastener Profiles CS-200 and CS-260, and Profile Series Exposed Fastener Profile Style-Rib were selected because of the products’ outstanding performance, aesthetics and sustainability. Both Concealed Fastener Profile products have a dynamic asymmetrical form that was the perfect solution for bringing the school’s innovative design to life. The panels were installed horizontally and the common lock joint allowed the panels to be mixed in an alternating color pattern for a custom, mosaic-like look. Profile Series Exposed Fastener Profiles Style-Rib also contributed to the successful implementation of the sleek, modern design vision, plus the wide panel width made a quick close-in possible.

In terms of actual construction, the all-weather installation capability of all three CENTRIA products shortened installation time and kept the project on schedule – especially important given Boston’s harsh climate. In keeping with the significant sustainability goals of the project, the Concept Series Concealed Fastener Profiles and the Profile Series Exposed Fastener Profiles products have all received Cradle to Cradle® Certification at the Silver Level, providing the design team with a truly environmentally-friendly solution.