University of Pennsylvania Ronald O. Perelman Center For Political Science & Economics

Hunter Roberts provided construction management services that included nearly two years of preconstruction for The Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics (PCPSE), which is located in a new facility that combined the rehabilitation of the existing 54,440 SF West Philadelphia Title and Trust Company building (a Penn “Distinguished II” ranked 1925 building) with a 56,700-SF, 6-story addition to its north. The renovated existing building and the new addition are used in their entirety by the PCPSE. The new center houses thriving departments which oversee two of the most popular majors in the school and is the new home to research centers, faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate programs focused on economic research, contemporary India and China, international politics, democracy, and public policy.

The buildings feature a 120-seat auditorium, state-of-the-art classrooms, undergraduate meeting rooms, a forum with a seating capacity of 72, offices for faculty of both the Economics and Political Science departments, and beautiful public spaces with stunning vistas of the city. The scope included complete HVAC and electrical systems replacement; new infrastructure including steam main and chilled water main extensions off-site; new electrical service, switchboard, transfer switch, emergency generator, and AC units. Building Information Modeling (BIM) was utilized on the project, especially for the concrete/steel transitions, which helped to anticipate potential future coordination issues with the construction of the superstructure. Prefabrication was used for the story trusses to provide a column free auditorium in the lower level. LEED Gold Certified.