Morabito Consultants provided structural engineering design services for Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall, a new academic and laboratory building at Washington College located along the Chester River in Chestertown, Maryland. The facility supports the College’s Center for Environment & Society and serves as a waterfront hub for environmental studies, river research, and immersive hands-on learning.
The approximately 11,500-square-foot facility incorporates biophilic design principles and a high-performance structural system suited to its waterfront setting. Foundations consist of timber piles with concrete pile caps and grade beams supporting wood-framed superstructure systems. The roof structure integrates steel framing and structural insulated panels to accommodate photovoltaic arrays extending beyond the building footprint, requiring specialized structural support and coordination.
A key feature of the project is its net-positive energy performance, achieved through a geothermal mechanical system and roof-mounted photovoltaic panels designed to produce more energy than the building consumes. The project has received multiple honors, including the AIA Baltimore Excellence in Design Grand Design Award, AIA Chesapeake Bay Excellence in Design awards for Non-Residential New Construction and Sustainability, and the SCUP Excellence in Architecture Special Citation.