Swarthmore College – Sharples Hall and Community Commons

OVERVIEW
Swarthmore College is expanding the Sharples Dining Hall to provide a new community commons for the campus that allows students and faculty to share meals and build relationships. Langan helped blend the expansion into the surrounding arboretum landscape, spearheaded the land development approval process, designed routes for geothermal-exchange pipes and distribution lines, and completed a 3D laser scan of the utility tunnel so it could be repurposed. We also optimized stormwater management areas to manage runoff from the development and other parts of campus to support Swarthmore’s sustainability commitment to reduce downstream effects from runoff. The sustainable stormwater design included green roofs, terraces, bioretention areas, a cistern for reusing rainwater, soil amendments, and an underground infiltration bed. Langan's contributions played a vital role in the team's pursuit of a Living Building Challenge certification.