Title: UNC-CH Chase Hall Addition and Renovation
Location of Proejct: Chapel Hill, NC
Project Completion Date: December 2020
Firm Name: Szostak Design Inc

Short Description: This glass pavilion addition to Chase Dining Hall creates a new dining destination. With a focus on inspiring students about their food and the science behind it, this 3,950 square foot addition provides a new venue that is designed to function as a teaching space, a flexible social space, and dining space. Sited atop a parking garage noted for its innovative green roof and cistern system, this addition is supported by only two existing columns. With an innovative cantilevered roof system, the lightweight glass building envelope exposes students to surrounding edible gardens and maximizes the sense of open space.

Architect's Statement: The new Chase Dining Hall Addition is sited in an inside corner of the dining hall, allowing the space to connect to the rest of the dining areas. The exterior glass wall panels, including a large rolling door on the west side that can be opened to the outside dining area, which is protected by a glass canopy that wraps the two new elevations. The pavilion can also be separated from the existing dining hall during low traffic hours or to host a class or event. The large opening blends the outside with the inside; bringing nature to the forefront of its users and preserves the sense of open space in a high traffic pedestrian corridor.

Students and staff have a vested interest in the project. They contributed by performing landscaping for the project through the edible garden which includes various fruits, vegetables and herbs. In addition to providing fresh produce and encouraging a healthy lifestyle, it has proven to be a strong community-building effort as well.

Daylighting and mechanical systems were studied extensively. In designing the addition, we reconfigured the existing building systems to add this new campus amenity with no additional power, chilled water, or steam for its systems.
Daylighting with skylights and glass walls eliminated the need for lighting except during evening and night hours of use.

Being a dining hall, our space inherently promotes communal living and social gatherings, as well as promotes the opportunity for renewable food sources, which spoke to the overall program. The project also included renovations to the existing interior space. Existing food service stations received new equipment to better serve student needs and new finishes match the pavilion and bring cohesion to the space.