Worcester Commons (2020)

Certified LEED v2009 Gold

The new, 87,000 S.F. Worcester Commons includes a first-floor retail café, grab-n -go, the campus’ commercial bakery, lounge spaces and a small fitness center. The dining commons is on the second floor with seating for approximately 800. The third floor is home to a full-service restaurant and bar, and a Student Life suite. The latter features soundproof music practice rooms, meeting spaces for student groups, a contemplative space, and an office space for Auxiliary Enterprises. The outdoor space on the west side of the building has a plaza for gathering, eating, and events. 

For Worcester Commons' LEED Gold certification, both the design and build integrate sustainable features, materials and practices. Those features include electrochromic glass for most south- and west-facing windows to improve the comfort of the interior space and reduce energy needed to heat and cool the building, laminate wood frames for the windows, high-efficiency exhaust hoods, energy recovery systems to capture heat waste, low-maintenance landscaping. The construction materials were locally sourced with some being recycled. One example is the large wooden dining tables in the main dining spaces.

Building Information

Address: 667 N Pleasant Street Amherst, MA 01003-9245
Completed: Fall 2020
Size: 87,000 GSF.
Designer / Architect: Perry Dean Rogers Architects, Connor Architecture (interior)
Contractor: Shawmut Design & Construction
UMass Project Manager: Burt Ewart
UMass Project Planners: Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham

SUSTAINABLE FEATURES

Resources

LEED Project Scorecard
LEED Project Dashboard
Green Building Brochure

Indoor Air Quality

• CO2 sensors ensure adequate fresh air is provided to densely occupied spaces
• 20% or more of the design supply airflow services non-densely occupied spaces
• Thermal comfort survey to be administered to occupants following project completion
• Interior spaces designed with low-emitting paints and floor coverings

Materials & Resources

• 10% of building materials sourced regionally within 500 miles
• 10% of building materials contain recycled content and were extracted, processed and manufactured regionally

Innovation In Design

• Active green-building education programs share building's sustainability features
• Green Housekeeping Program in place
• Project undertaken on a Difficult Development Area (DDA)

Water Efficiency

• 42% reduction in potable water usage
• Building level metering

Sustainable Sites

• The building is serviced regularly by the PVTA bus system and located within a quarter mile of basic community services including a park, museum, and fitness center
• Bicycle racks are located at main entrances in effort to reduce automobile dependence
• Walkable to a library, restaurants, retail, and other core community services
• The building location maximizes open space of surrounding site 

Energy & Atmosphere

• 42% reduction in potable water usage
• 48.5% Overall energy performance optimization
• Enhanced commissioning ensures building systems perform as intended post-occupancy
• Select refrigerants used to minimize contributions to global warming and ozone depletion
• Advanced whole-building energy metering
• Electrochromic glass responds to sun intensity improving comfort of interior spaces while reducing energy needed to heat and cool the building

Photo Gallery

South Exterior Perspective	First Floor Lounge
Dining Commons Entry	Wok, Tandoor, Nori Seating
Dining N. Pleasant Frontage	Main Dining Area
Dining near Grill	View onto Ellis Way
First Floor Foyer Lounge	Approach from N. Pleasant St.

Renderings courtesy of Perry Dean Rogers Architects and Connor Architecture.

Rendered Perspective	North Approach Rendered Perspective
Ellis Way Approach Rendered Perspective	Mediterranean Station
First Floor Lounges	First Floor Cafe
Grab & Go	Sushi Station
Latin Station	Restaurant

Media

Videos

Tour the New Worcester Dining Commons at UMass Amherst 
UMass Amherst Admissions - 12/8/2020

BRAND NEW! Worcester Commons at UMass Amherst
UMass Dining - 6/21/2021

Articles

Worcester Commons Receives Gold LEED Certification
UMass Amherst News & Media Relations - 06/16/2021

UMASS DINING’S NEW WORCESTER COMMONS OPENS OCT. 19
UMass Amherst News & Media Relations - 10/15/2020