33 Harry Agganis Way

Resident Tower II

Boston University

Tyler Meek
Structural Option

  
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Senior Capstone Project (CPEP):


The Capstone Project Electronic Portfolio (CPEP) is a web‐based project and information center. It
contains material produced for a year‐long Senior Thesis class. Its purpose, in addition to providing
central storage of individual assignments, is to foster communication and collaboration between student, faculty consultant, course instructors, and industry consultants. This website is dedicated to the research and analysis conducted via guidelines provided by the Department of Architectural Engineering. For an explanation of this capstone design course and its requirements click here.
 
 
Note: While great efforts have been taken to provide accurate and complete information on the pages of CPEP, please be aware that the information contained herewith is considered a work‐inprogress
for this thesis project. Modifications and changes related to the original building designs and construction methodologies for this senior thesis project are solely the interpretation of Tyler Meek. Changes and discrepancies in no way imply that the original design contained errors or was flawed. Differing assumptions, code references, requirements, and methodologies have been incorporated into this thesis project; herefore,investigation results may vary from the original
design.
 
 
 
Building Statistics Part 1:
General Information
 
Building Name 33 Harry Agganis Way (Res Tower II)
Location Boston Massachusetts
Site John Hancock Student Village, Boston University
Building Occupant BU Student Housing
Occupancy Type Residential
Size 396,000 sf
Number of Stories 26
Owner
Boston University
Costruction Manager
General Contractor
Walsh Brothers
Architect
MEP Engineer
Cannon Design
Structural Engineer
Weidlinger Assocaties
Dates of Construction
January 2007 - April 2009
Cost
$291 Million
Delivery Method
Design - Bid - Build
 
Architecture:
 

Resident Tower II is the second phase of a three phase project for the John Hancock Student Village. The first phase consists of Agganis Arena, which is a large recreational facility for BU students, and another dormitory. Located at 33 Harry Agganis Way, Resident Tower II is on the northwest corner of the John Hancock Student Village and provides breathtaking views of the Charles River, Boston and the surrounding areas. The two-tower configuration which shares a common core and lower entry levels houses approximately 950 beds.

 

Rendering shows Res Tower II with the previously existing Agganis Arena and dormitory
 

As can be seen from the rendering, the John Hancock Student Village fits in nicely between Commonwealth Ave to the South and the Charles River to the North.

The high cost for developing in Boston dictated that the overall layout be limited as much as possible and that the building be a highrise to be efficient as possible. The tower was designed with the resident in mind with each bedroom having a full height window to maximize natural light. Approximately half the beds are provided in apartment style units while the others employ a suite style layout.

Major Codes:
  • International Building Code 2006
  • Massachusetts State Building Code 780 CMR
  • Massachusetts Fire Prevention Regulations
  • Massachusetts Electrical, Elevator and Plumbing Code
  • 1993 Boca National Mechanical Code
Zoning:
 
Res tower II was built following the zoning requirements set forth in the Boston Zoning Code by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. More research is being put towards this topic.
 
Historical Information:
 
The existing phase one of the John Hancock Student Village was dedicated to Harry Agganis, a star quarterback and baseball player for Boston University from 1948 – 1952. Mr. Agganis tragically died at the age of 26 in the middle of only his second season with the local professional baseball team, the Boston Red Sox. A large statue of Harry Agganis is located at the main entrance to the large student recreational facility, Agganis Arena.
 
Building Enclosures:
 
The façade of Resident Tower II is panelized terracotta and a metal panel rainscreen system that includes an air barrier. This exterior skin appears similar to the facades of the surrounding buildings but has a smarter appearance and design.

As can be seen in the photo, the enclosure systems of the building are grouped in vertical strips along the exterior. There are two main façades; the first is the panelized metal rainscreen system which encloses the bedroom areas with a darker terracotta on the shorter tower. This rainscreen is a composite aluminum panel utilizing an extruded aluminum support system and cold formed steel with zinc primed structural steel reinforcing and bracing. The more public areas of the building, such as the study areas, break out areas, main lobby and top story activity space, are enclosed using glazed aluminum curtain wall.

The windows in the bedrooms and private living areas are comprised of insulated vision glass ranging from 1 inch to 2 inch thicknesses and two layers of laminated glass to control the heat exchange to the exterior. HSS tubes are used to frame these windows while supporting decretive ceramic tile.
 
Roofing:
 

Res Tower II uses four roof types with each type including gypsum under-laminate board, a vapor retarder and an adhered roofing membrane. The prior three aspects will be referred to as the typical roof assembly from here on. Where mechanical equipment is being supported the typical roof assembly is placed on concrete deck. On the outer edges of the building, a metal deck is used.
On the 26th story, outside of the student activity area, precast pavers on a concrete deck are combined with the typical roof assembly to create an inviting yet durable roof system.
 
Sustainability Features:
 

Due to the nature of a university residential building, durability of the systems is a key factor. Any design concept that did not optimize durability could not be reasonably considered sustainable for this project. All of the sustainability concepts implemented on the project rate highly with regard to durability when compared to viable alternatives.
The transparent double-glazed, low-E coated glazing was integrated with the building envelope that utilizes a state-of-the-art rainscreen system. This integration extends the life of the building through effective water protection technologies, while maximizing natural daylight.
Several other concepts have been implemented in Res Tower II. A short list of the key aspects is as follows:

  • High efficiency lighting system with occupancy sensors and pre-set timers
  • Mechanical system that includes a desiccant wheel energy recovery system and evaporative coolers.
  • Building is located in a dense urban environment with existing infrastructure and is close to the mass transit system.

All of the concepts that were implemented in this project were evaluated using a rigorous life cycle assessment process.
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Photo of the Statue of Harry Aggnis
 
 
 
 
Photos above are close-up views of the terracotta samples used on the facade of Res Tower II
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
 
All Rendered Images and Pictures compliments of Cannon Design
This page was last updated on 9.12.2010 by Tyler Meek and is hosted by the AE Department. ©2010