The College of William & Mary’s new Fine and Performing Arts Complex is the largest capital improvement project ever undertaken by the institution and includes a new 67,000-square-foot music building and 93,000-square-foot renovated Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. The refurbished hall features four total theatres, and the new music building contains a 450-seat concert hall and a 125-seat recital hall with a recording studio, several music labs, and practice rooms of various sizes.
VHB partnered with an architect-led design team and the College of William & Mary to provide design and construction administration services for this state-of-the-art complex. VHB’s civil design included onsite stormwater management and downstream analysis to support an environmental impact report (EIR). To gain an understanding of the specifics of the area surrounding the complex, VHB completed a traffic and pedestrian circulation study that helped determine the trip generation and distribution for the development, evaluated the potential traffic impacts to roadways and intersections, and evaluated the proposed access and circulation plans. VHB also managed coordination with the team to confirm that the facilities and areas of campus surrounding the complex remained functional throughout the duration of the project. Communication and collaboration among the team during the design and construction process was critical, and VHB helped the team navigate regulatory authority between the internal William & Mary Code Review Team and the Virginia Department of General Services Division of Engineering & Buildings.
These new, inviting spaces for teaching, learning, research, and performance will serve both the campus and regional communities, coming to life in the Arts Quarter of Williamsburg, and giving performing arts a bright and modern home at William & Mary.
