Saint Francis University held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, October 7 for a new 70,000 square-foot science center. Once completed, this building will be a flagship facility for science and technology programs on campus. It will house state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and research facilities (including an aquatic research facility), advanced chemical instrumentation and youth outreach areas, in addition to places for students and faculty to gather, study and learn.

The science center project is the second phase of the three-phased capital campaign to invest in the sciences and health sciences at the university. The first phase, The DiSepio Institute for Rural Health and Wellness, was completed in April 2009. The third phase, the renovation of Sullivan Hall, will better serve the needs of health sciences students and will commence upon completion of the science center.

“This science center is not just another building,” explains University President, the Rev. Gabriel J. Zeis, T.O.R. “It will be an opportunity to transform the way we educate our students through research, service and collaboration.”

While visiting Washington D.C. over the weekend, Graduate Architect and sustainability guru Christina Lynch, LEED AP, checked out the 2011 Solar Decathlon homes, on display at West Potomac Park on the National Mall. The Solar Decathlon is a competition organized by the U.S. Department of Energy and universities or teams of universities design, construct, and demonstrate the highly energy-efficient performance of a small single family house. The teams compete in 10 contests, either juried (architecture, engineering) or measured (hot water, appliances), in addition to opening their homes to the public for tours and educational opportunities.

Christina especially enjoyed The Solar Homestead, by Appalachian State University, for its uncommon floor plan layout and use of a solar panel-shaded porch to link the typical programmatic elements of a home. She also liked Team Florida’s Flex House which featured a well-detailed and spacious living space, with clever displays of mechanical systems, such as the dehumidifying liquid desiccant system in the living room. Lastly, she liked how this year’s winner, the University of Maryland, successfully integrated green walls as a façade element.

Robert Morris University marked its 90th anniversary Sept. 6 during a celebration at its brand-new School of Business designed by Celli-Flynn Brennan. The new 18,000-square-foot School of Business, which includes The PNC Trading Center, The United States Steel Corporation Video Conferencing and Technology Center, and The ATI Center, gives the university’s business school its first official home at its campus in suburban Moon Township. It was funded through RMU’s Changing Lives, Building Futures capital campaign, the first comprehensive capital campaign in the university’s history.

“This high-tech business laboratory will give Robert Morris University, its graduates, and its faculty the reputation they deserve, the reputation they have earned through their hard work, professional success, and dedicated service to the community,” said President Gregory G. Dell’Omo. “It will be a transformative facility that will move our business school and university to another level.”

In 2009, the School of Business earned accreditation by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The school’s new building features the latest in business technology. Among other features, 12 Bloomberg terminals give students access to real-time financial market data, and an 18-seat Cisco telepresence room allows for an immersive videoconferencing experience.

“Having a new home lets us replant the flag of who we are, how we do things differently and better,” said Daria C. Crawley, associate professor of management. “The technology pulls us closer to that international marketplace. It will enable students to engage in better conversations.”

In addition to providing state-of-the-art teaching and learning spaces, the building’s location and orientation also achieves several campus planning initiatives. The building completes a quadrangle with Massey Hall and the Lafayette Center and enhances the historic Rudolph Family Garden. Its scale, configuration and alignment respect the garden and existing buildings while creating a strong identity for the Business School. The building also acts as a natural connector providing a path for students from the main part of campus to the west, through the building, to the quad.

At Celli-Flynn Brennan we don’t just design, we build too! Over Independence Day weekend, Tom Celli spent his time helping a client repair the stone terrace of a 1955 architect-designed modern stone and glass residence using traditional tools and techniques. Tom has a long history of hands-on craftsmanship; at age 19, he became an apprentice in the Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers union. We are glad to be using our skills beyond design to help our clients realize their aesthetic ideals.



The team is happy to have Melanie Panutsos join us for the summer! Melanie has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Kent State University, where she will be returning this fall for her joint Master of Architecture and Master of Business Administration degrees. During her time as an undergraduate, Melanie was a finalist in the 2011 Integrated Design Competition which charged students to design a 250,000 SF mixed used (office and retail) building in the Yards Waterfront historic district of Washington, D.C. She also studied abroad in Florence, Italy. In her spare time, Melanie helps her parents with both design and construction of a new residence, which is tucked away in the woods just up the hill from downtown Ambridge, PA. The design reuses all of the lumber and nails from their former residence.