Columbia University Opens The Forum

Columbia University opened The Forum in September of 2018 in New York. Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop with Dattner Architects as executive architect, the 56,000-sf facility provides a 437-seat auditorium, conference and breakout rooms, collaboration spaces, and faculty offices. Acting as the gateway to the new Manhattanville campus, the triangular-shaped building offers flexible multiuse spaces and a 4,200-sf café on the ground floor to promote community engagement. The project team included LEED consultant e4, associate architect Caples Jefferson, and MEP engineer WSP Flack + Kurtz. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which features highly efficient water fixtures and a sophisticated HVAC system with integrated ventilation monitoring to optimize indoor air quality.