Newton Centre, MA - June 14, 2007 – Shawmut Design and Construction (www.shawmut.com), a $700 million national construction management firm specializing in construction on college and university campuses, along with Donham & Sweeney Architects, has finished the construction of a new 10,500 square foot interdenominational chapel at Andover Newton Theological School, the nation's oldest graduate theological school, marking the school’s first new campus structure in 45 years. Wilson Chapel, whose unveiling coincides with the school’s 200th anniversary, has been anticipated for four decades.
Situated at the east end of the campus Quadrangle, opposite the library, the chapel will serve as a center for students and staff to gather for worship and learning. The building’s façade boasts beautiful limestone masonry, a slate roof, glass curtain walls, and a magnificent 50-foot glass tower with a fountain in the interior at its base. The interior walls feature both modern limestone tiling and ornamental wood finishes. Shawmut also built a custom-designed pulpit to compliment the chapel’s interior.
To maximize natural light while shielding occupants from heat and glare, ceramic ‘frit’ glass windows, with a sun-blocking dot pattern, were installed. These work in combination with mechanical shades to provide a bright and comfortable atmosphere.
Since the campus was occupied during Shawmut’s year long presence, parking was relocated and M/E/P shutdowns were carefully coordinated. In addition, space was expanded for the adjacent Davis Hall’s equipment yard, in preparation for improvements and HVAC upgrades slated for this summer. Consistent with Shawmut’s “outside the fence” philosophy, careful consideration and respect was extended to all aspects of the campus community. This included custom signage, weekly updates and forecasts, and constant communication with staff, students, and neighbors.
Shawmut has previously worked on several important institutional and religious projects, including successes as the Trinity Church in the City of Boston, Rhode Island’s Touro Synagogue, Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, Phillips Church at Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy’s Cochran Chapel, and a multitude of projects with Harvard, Brown, Yale, and Tufts Universities.
About Shawmut
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with offices in Providence, RI, New York, NY, and Atlantic City, NJ, Shawmut Design and Construction is a $700 million national construction management firm providing client-oriented services for academic, cultural and historic preservation, retail, restaurant, banking, corporate interiors, and science and healthcare markets. Visit Shawmut at www.shawmut.com.
About Andover Newton Theological School
Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) is the nation’s oldest independent graduate theological school. Andover (1807) and Newton (1825) joined forces in the 1930’s and formally united in the 1960’s. Today the school is internationally recognized for its preparation of congregational leaders through innovative programs in church renewal, field education, and interreligious studies. ANTS enrolls students from 35 different denominations, including large numbers of Congregationalists, Baptists, Unitarian Universalists, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Presbyterians. They also have a pioneering academic partnership with Hebrew College, a transdenominational school and rabinic program that shares the Andover Newton campus.
