Phillips Exeter Academy, The Goel Center for Theater and Dance, Exeter, NH, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners © Michael Moran
U.S. Green Building Council New Hampshire Chapter has named the Goel Center for Theater and Dance their Building of the Year.
The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Theater and Dance at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, is a building dedicated to the performing arts. Over a quarter of Exeter’s student body participates in the seasonal theatrical productions and over 150 students partake in dance lessons or in one of the 16 student-run dance clubs. The Center houses a large main stage and orchestra pit, an intimate apron stage, two dance venues, and flexible teaching, rehearsal, and exploration spaces for year-round use. It also includes areas for technical design, craft, and storage, and a large lobby for hosting events.
The building technologies exceed the latest energy codes and design standards, while meeting strict noise criteria within all performance spaces, and consisted of central heat pump air handling units and VRF heat pumps coupled to a closed-loop geothermal system. The implemented mechanical systems, together with efficient lighting, resulted in a calculated reduction of the annual energy cost of 35%.
Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational independent high school, established in 1781, and is one of the oldest and most highly selective secondary schools in the United States. The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Theater and Dance display Phillips Exeter’s commitment to elevating the performing arts.
