Laying the Foundation: A Modern Design for the Future of Community Wellness at the Bangor YMCA
The spirit of community and wellness took a monumental step forward on Friday, October 17, as SMRT joined the Bangor YMCA, elected officials, and regional partners for the official groundbreaking ceremony of the new Cathy Gero Bangor Region YMCA. This milestone marks the start of construction for a vital, 80,000-square-foot community hub, designed by our…
Game On! A New Arena for USM: SMRT Designs a High-Performance Hub for Esports and Community
The University of Southern Maine (USM) officially opened its state-of-the-art Collab: Esports Arena on its Gorham campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 22. What began as an idea from USM’s Esports Team is now a dynamic hub for student life and competitive gaming, thoughtfully designed by SMRT. Town & County Federal Credit Union made…
Athletic Field Design: The 7 Most Frequently Asked Questions From Higher Ed Leaders
When a college or university considers a new or upgraded athletic field, it’s about more than grass and goalposts. These projects are complex undertakings that have to balance performance, budget, and long-term sustainability. At our firm, we’ve guided countless higher education clients through this process, and a few core questions always rise to the top….
A National Conference Recap from Hawaii: Presenting UMaine GEM at the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Conference
And just like that, we’re back in Maine! We were honored to present at this year’s SCUP National Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Alongside the University of Maine and our design partners at Grimshaw, Adam Yothers and I shared the story of the innovative design work behind UMaine’s Green Engineering and Materials (GEM) facility in a…
Bridging the Data Gap: How Custom Tools Transform A/E Design
Architecture and engineering are changing. The demand for high-quality design is still strong, but clients facing increasingly complex projects expect more. A well-structured BIM (Building Information Model) file used to produce 2D drawings is no longer enough, and the I in BIM – information – is not always complete or accessible. At the same time,…
The D3 Roster Dilemma and How Facilities Are Adapting
In the world of collegiate athletics, NCAA Division III (D3) schools often stand out for their commitment to balancing the academic and athletic needs of their student-athletes. But there’s another unique and often overlooked challenge these institutions face: roster size. With no cap on team sizes, D3 rosters often swell far beyond their Division I…
5 Steps to Campus Electrification: A Strategic Engineering Perspective
Campus electrification isn’t just a trend, it’s an essential part of the path toward decarbonization, climate resilience, and operational sustainability. But make no mistake: beneficial electrification is a long game. It requires vision, strategy, and a willingness to take measured steps today to ensure a more sustainable tomorrow. As institutions face aging infrastructure, growing demands…
Mass Timber “Revolution” – SMRT Featured in MaineBiz
Ellen Belknap, President of SMRT Architect and Engineers spoke at last month’s Environmental & Energy Technology Council of Maine (E2Tech) event about the potential future of producing mass timber and cross-laminated timber in Maine. “When we have mass timber available to us locally, it will be a game-changer,” she said. Belknap’s discussion centered on how to…
Harold Alfond Foundation Gift Positions The University of New England as a Health Professions Education Hub
In October of 2020, the Harold Alfond Foundation gifted $30 million to The University of New England. This gift supports the design and construction of a new 110,000 square foot medical education facility on the Portland Campus that will house UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM), relocating them from the Biddeford campus. This facility will…
Roux Institute Featured in 2021 Educational Interiors Showcase
The freshly completed Roux Institute at Northeastern University in Portland, Maine has been featured in Endeavor Business Media’s American School & University 2021 Educational Interiors Showcase. This year’s 31st annual competition honors excellence in educational interiors and facility planning, featuring today’s most effective learning environments. Seventy-five projects were considered based on criteria that include spaces…