The New England-based firm of architects behind Bowdoin’s new Harpswell Apartments has picked up an award for its work on the upperclass student residence halls. Lavallee Brensinger is the winner of the 2021 Excellence in Architectural Design Honor Award, issued by the American Institute of Architects New Hampshire (AIANH).
The Harpswell Apartments, which were completed at the end of August 2020, consist of three forty-four-bed residence halls in twenty-one apartments and are located at 80 Harpswell Road, to the east of Watson Arena. Each structure is three stories high and surrounds a landscaped center courtyard area.
The apartments feature all single bedrooms, a full kitchen, bathrooms, and living areas, while each building contains a two-story common area for student programming and informal gatherings. The building envelopes were designed to meet Passive House standards with thick (“super”) insulation, triple-pane windows, and efficient air-exchange systems, leading to a 50 percent reduction in energy use compared to traditional construction methods.
