NSU G.W.C. Brown Memorial Hall

Brown Hall is a three-story, 153,976 SF building that was designed and built to enhance and expand the university’s mass-communications, mathematics, and theatrical (music, dance, drama) education programs and houses the Journalism, Mathematics, and Communications, Departments; Social Work and Honors College; and Title III Business offices.

The building hosts a variety of flexible classrooms, distace learning classrooms, computer labs, observation classrooms, meeting rooms, study areas, student lounges, audio and video editing suites, state of the art  TV studio, multipurpose black box theater, a performing arts theater and control studio.  The North Lobby includes a gallery for displays about the history of Brown Hall. The South Lobby includes the Lobby Amphitheater which accommodates small performances, presentations, and informal collaboration.

Building Features:
> Audio and Visual Editing Suites
> TV Studio
> Multipurpose Black Box Theater
> Jewelry / Costume / Stage Scenery Design and Maker Spaces
> 450 – seat theater
> Flexible Classrooms
> Distance Learning Classrooms
> Computer Labs
> Observation Classrooms
> Meeting Rooms
> Study Areas / Student Lounges
> “Learning Nodes” where students and professors collaborate informally before and after class
> Second Story Outdoor Classroom
> Outdoor Amphitheater

Design
Key design concepts included opportunities for out-of-classroom instruction. Corridors become “learning nodes,” where students and professors collaborate informally before and after class. Learning moves outdoors with a second-story outdoor classroom and an outdoor amphitheater. Generous glass walls provide sweeping views to an academic quad that includes the Student Service & Student Center Building, the Nursing & General Education Building, the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library and the Communication Towers. Nostalgic alumni will recognize the tribute to Brown Hall’s history in the new clock anchoring the building along Corprew Avenue.

The two-phase demolition of the original Brown Hall began in 2015, keeping two thirds of the existing building occupied and operational and also keeping the main central heating and cooling plant online.  The phased demolition minimizes disruption to the faculty and staff while the new Brown Hall was under construction.  Once the new construction was complete and the staff and faculty were moved into the new building, the second phase of demolition commenced. The safety of all parties in or around the existing building during demolition was of utmost importance, as campus remained fully operational.

The New NSU Brown Hall is a state-of-the-art Academic Classroom Building. Not only does the building provide an atmosphere for academic excellence, but it provides a gathering area for students and faculty, strengthening the sense of NSU community. This project was the showcase crown of the improved campus quad, while featuring elements that remind students, faculty, staff and alumni of the historical significance of the previously existing Brown Hall.

The exterior façade features a mixture of brick, precast, metal panel and curtain wall systems to maintain the balance and context with the rest of the quad. A particular area of architectural interest is the cantilevered “Classroom of the Future,” which features glass on all sides and future flexibility. The new offices provide a significant upgrade to staff and faculty. Well planned interior finishes provide a welcoming environment, conducive to learning.

Brown Hall accommodates a variety of flexible classroom and distance learning spaces, computer labs, observation classrooms, meeting rooms, colloquial / study spaces, a state-of-the-art television studio with AV editing suites, a multipurpose black box theater, and a performing arts theater and control studio. Learning moves “outdoors” with a second story, “floating” outdoor classroom covered by an accessible raised paver roof patio surrounded by a structural glass rail system that provide sweeping views of the academic quad.

A wide variety of classroom sizes and types are available, with the most flexible rooms able to reconfigure into several different types of learning environments in minutes. The building’s signature piece is the “Classroom of the Future,” a cantilevered classroom that extends out into the Main Quad, creating a covered entry to the building. Brightly glowing at night, this classroom is the model of ultimate flexibility, complete with state-of-the art technology and modular, collaborative furniture.

By recreating the original clock tower entry, Brown Hall pays homage to Norfolk State’s first true university building that housed classrooms, library, cafeteria, and administration offices all under one roof. The Corprew Avenue entrance is directly in-line with the original entrance making a connection from Corprew Avenue to the Main Quad. Academic community engagement during construction was important to the owner. In response, SBBCC orchestrated several faculty and staff tours and provided a student tour resulting in SBBCC offering paid summer internships to two (2) construction management students.

NOTABLE PROJECT FEATURES
> Demolition of existing structures
> Structural steel framing
> Steel joist and deck with LW concrete on floors and roof
> Structural metal stud exterior walls
> Varying exterior façade materials consisting of brick veneer, metal panels, precast, and a curtainwall glazing system
> Roofing systems consisting of single ply TPO membrane with tapered insulation on “flat” roofing surfaces
> Chilled water cooling plant with variable speed water-cooled chillers
> Heating hot water plant with variable speed pumps
> VAV terminal units controlled by a Direct Digital Control system that is connected to the universities
> Energy Management Department via an existing campus-wide BAS network.
> Emergency power for life-safety and support of mechanical/electrical mission critical systems
> On-site rainwater and run-off Best Management Practices (BMP’s)
> Masonry paver driveway access and parking for service vehicles