Innovation Hall
Innovation Hall is the former Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG) Armory on Stevens Avenue, at the edge of the University of New England’s Portland campus. The building began its life as an electric trolley barn in early 1911 for the Portland Railroad Company and served in that capacity until 1933. In the 1940’s the building was converted into an armory for the National Guard. In 2015, the building ownership was transferred to the University of New England. Under the new ownership, the 66,000 square foot brick masonry structure underwent a major restoration and reconstruction beginning in 2016, continuing the life of the building as a place for 21st century learning, collaboration and gathering.
The building now houses the University’s Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center, consisting of five medical simulation pods, faculty offices, and a medical skills lab. There are also three large classroom spaces (two for 75 students and one for 150 students) as well as UNE’s Online Worldwide Learning (OWL) offices, which develop UNE’s online course offerings. In addition, a 10,000 sf function room and 4,000 sf pre-function room provide the University one of the larger function facilities in the City of Portland. These rooms also house small group learning spaces that foster chance encounters and student collaboration, as well as provide places for private meeting and learning.
The existing building presented a number of design challenges. Having been built in multiple phases over the course of 50 years, the building was in poor condition in many areas. The exterior façade was repointed and rebuilt in areas. Existing window openings that had previously been filled in with vinyl siding were rebuilt, allowing for large windows to be reintroduced to both the first and second floor portions of the building. The building envelope was also upgraded, adding much needed insulation to the load bearing masonry walls. The building was constructed with a 10’-2” floor-to-floor height. Coordination of the mechanical and electrical building systems within this constraint was challenging. A second floor was added to house one of the large classroom spaces within the existing assembly hall and a balcony was constructed in a former vehicle maintenance bay to serve the pre-function room. A new elevator and new egress stairs were also added, bringing the building into compliance with ADA.
Construction was completed in 2017, with a construction budget of $8.8 million.
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