The UMass Sherman Center: Advancement Begins at the Door

The UMass Sherman Center: Advancement Begins at the Door Posted: Oct 2013 Posted by: Mats Inc.

It took just under 3 years and $400 million to build the LEED-Gold Certified University of Massachusetts Albert Sherman Center. With 9 stories and 512,000 square feet of space, the Sherman Center, located on the Worcester campus of The UMass Medical School, serves to double the amount of research space on the campus. The new home for scientists, students and researchers has been designed to foster cross-functional collaboration and offers facilities for advanced education.

Sherman Center would be the epicenter of the medical campus housing, conference rooms, research laboratories, and seminar rooms with hundreds of students and scientists passing through the doors daily. With such a high volume of constant foot traffic, it was of the utmost importance that interiors, where particulate and germ-sensitive research was to be conducted, would remain as clean as possible.

The project team of 125 architects and engineers incorporated approximately 1,300 square foot of entrance space to accommodate a system that would optimize dirt and moisture management. The entrance system would have to simultaneously scrape and hide debris and absorb moisture in order to mitigate the risk of contaminates entering the building on visitors’ shoes.

Designers and construction executives collaborated with Mats Inc. sales representative John Dunbar and Foot Grilles Specialist Scott Kelliher to develop an 18-piece semi-circle Pro Track Series aluminum foot grille system with designer nylon inserts for drying and a cut-out for the revolving door. They selected the Advanced Track foot grille model and Charcoal inserts to complement the sleek building design. The system helps contribute to LEED certification and improved indoor air quality by removing dirt, debris and moisture from shoes; it reduces maintenance requirements and helps protect interior flooring.