Project Overview
Established nearly a century ago in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Marist University has grown to encompass a 180-acre main campus and more than 6500 students. Marist overlooks the Hudson River, offering a picturesque environment for students studying a variety of majors, including everything from business management and marketing to psychology and the social sciences. As the university continues to grow, so too does the need for new facilities. In the heart of the main campus, university officials spearheaded the design and construction of the Dyson Center, a 100,000-ft2 building supporting more than 500 students for the Schools of Management and Behavioral Sciences. To bring the new four-story structure to life, Marist leveraged precast concrete in partnership with BPDL and Annum Architects.
Seamlessly Blending Old and New
Set in an open landscape that features broad views of the Hudson River, the Dyson Center’s new structure incorporates portions of an existing building, allowing the project to preserve resources while limiting site disturbances generated by new construction. A precast concrete panelized façade helped to seamlessly unify old and new. The 57 primary façade panels feature travertine-colored concrete with a light sandblasted finish. Each panel is inset with large swaths of stone veneer, a design approach adopted to match Marist’s traditional stone architecture. Panels are topped with a custom precast concrete crowning cap with integrated roof membrane tie-ins.
The 40-ft-tall precast concrete panels on the main façade rest on precast concrete base panels—manufactured with the same travertine appearance—that run along the perimeter of the Dyson Center’s base. Wall panels are anchored at each floor level using engineered steel embeds and threaded-rod connections. Precast concrete spandrel panels span above and below each of the structure’s windows. Additionally, the building’s entrance features an expansive precast concrete portal with fluted, angled side and top panels suspended from a steel structure overhead, resulting in a grand architectural focal point.
Early in the design process, Marist officials and the design team aligned on achieving the appearance of a traditional stone masonry façade. But the advantages of precast concrete wall panels over traditional masonry construction quickly became evident. The inherent stiffness of precast concrete provided a robust backup wall system, enabling the use of a thinner, lighter stone masonry veneer. The tall, continuous vertical panels significantly reduced the number of joints, minimizing potential points of failure while contributing to a more weathertight, durable façade. In addition, pursuing a precast concrete system offered enhanced durability to the facility, delivering a structure capable of a longer lifespan than other traditional wall assemblies. This aligned with the university’s goal of constructing more resilient buildings.
Powered by a durable, aesthetically pleasing precast concrete façade, the updated Dyson Center features a café, career center, investment center, open collaborative study spaces, and more—all connected by a central skylit atrium. Built for the future, the Dyson Center is an ideal gathering space for all of Marist’s students, professors, and visitors.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |