ACEC/MD presented Henry Adams with an Honor Award for the Center for Performing Arts at Prince George’s Community College. The Honor Award, part of the 2020 Excellence in Engineering Awards Program, reflects innovative excellence in engineering design.

The $88M, 173,000 SF, LEED Gold project features the renovated, 759-seat Hallam Theatre, 304-seat Proscenium Theatre, 152-seat Blackbox Studio, and an instructional theatre. The reimagined performing arts center provides modernized finishes and equipment to uplift, empower, and encourage creative-minded students by offering workforce development, student services, and community outreach programs. 

The awe-inspiring creative academic workspace also has large expanded spaces to improve and transform the curricula of Music, Theatre, Speech, Television, Radio, and Film. Beyond offices and classrooms, the Queen Anne Academic Center features the renovated, 759-seat Hallam Theatre, 304-seat Proscenium Theatre, 152-seat Blackbox Studio, and an instructional theatre. 

In addition, the building offers entertainment technology labs, a conference center with many instructional conference spaces, a TV studio, audio studios, a scene space to assemble sets, production labs, music rehearsal spaces, dance studios, and an art gallery. There is also a grab-and-go coffee and snack location appropriately coined “Encore Café,” which mirrors the pulse of the building – cheering for an encore from passionate and creative performing arts students looking to make it big. 

Henry Adams provided the MEP engineering design for the award-winning project. The mechanical scope includes HVAC, associated building controls, and fire suppression. The project incorporated the design of a standalone heating plant, air cooled chillers, and distributed variable air volume air handling units for eight systems within the building. The electrical scope includes power, lighting, fire alarm, security access control, intrusion detection, and video surveillance.

For more information on Henry Adams' role on the project, check out our potfolio page here!