725 new parking spaces, precast concrete, architectural treatments blend with surrounding campus architecture.

Salem State University Garage consists of a 2-bay, 5 levels open parking precast structure with a total of 725 cars. It’s located in Salem Massachusetts, on the North Campus where the parking demand is the greatest because of its proximity to most of the academic buildings and University Library.

The basic circulation concept is based on a single threaded helix with one level bay. This approach allows for ease to understand the traffic flow for users as well as better visibility across the structure, which enhances passive security. Thin brick which complements the surrounding buildings coupled with a variety of precast finishes and planar locations creates a well-balanced and sensitive response to a relatively tight site. A glass-backed elevator hoistway as well as glazed stairways provides passive security and a complementary aesthetic to the precast parking structure. The design team has integrated many new technologies and sustainable programs for a superior structure performance.

As the Architect/Engineer of Record for the Garage, DESMAN worked closely with the designers Dimeo Construction to meet a variety of architectural and structural challenges and to provide Salem State University with a fully functional and attractive parking facility.

• A professional arborist hired to ensure construction of garage did not damage or disturb well-established trees bordering project site.
• The garage contains five (5) electric vehicle charging stations that can be used by parkers free of charge.
• Thirty percent (30%) of the building materials used to construct the garage came from reused, repurposed or recycled sources.
• The garage contains 15 reserved spaces each for rideshare, low-emitting/fuel-efficient, and alternative fuel vehicles.

At Salem State University, the Massachusetts State College Building Authority (MSCBA) was looking for funding sources for a new parking garage on campus. One of the options identified were “green bonds,” or bonds created to fund projects that have positive environmental or climate benefits. Typically, for a project to qualify for this type of financing, the project must receive some type of independent sustainability certification. In the case of the Salem State parking garage, the only option available was Parksmart certification. Based on a commitment to obtain this certification, MSCBA was able to secure the funds necessary to construct the garage and the Salem State University Garage was the first new design parking garage to receive Parksmart Bronze certification in the United States.