A UNIFIED HOME FOR HEALTH: TEMPLE UNIVERSITY REIMAGINES PALEY HALL FOR COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

MATT PENTZ | RYCON CONSTRUCTION, INC.

Located at the heart of campus on Polett Walk, across from the iconic Bell Tower, Temple University has unveiled a new home for its Barnett College of Public Health (CPH). With Rycon Construction serving as general contractor, and PZS Architects (AOR) alongside SLAM Collaborative leading the design, the university transformed the former library into a dynamic academic hub.

Previously spread across 10+ separate buildings, CPH is now consolidated into a single centralized facility through a comprehensive expansion and renovation of Paley Hall. The building supports education, research, and community engagement, while aligning with the architectural character and flow of the surrounding urban campus. Notably, the project is designed to achieve both LEED and WELL Fit certification - marking Temple’s first WELL-certified building.

Rycon’s Collaborative Approach

Given the complexity of this multi-prime, public bid project, Rycon prioritized transparency, collaboration, and proactive problem-solving. With MEP prime contractors held directly by the university, Rycon’s ability to foster strong relationships was essential. The team managed over 1,000 RFIs and 680 change orders, emphasizing real-time communication with Temple and trade partners to maintain momentum.

Rycon’s Philadelphia presence proved invaluable, with team members leveraging existing relationships with subcontractors to build trust and ensure seamless coordination. Weekly OAC meetings, trade coordination sessions, and foreman huddles helped identify issues early and keep the project aligned.

To minimize conflicts and enhance coordination, BIM technology was used for model federation, clash detection, and issue tracking. Solution Driven Workshops brought stakeholders together to resolve challenges collaboratively. Rycon also self-performed select scopes, including millwork, wood soffits, and specialty ceilings.

Project Scope and Timeline

Spanning 27 months, the project was strategically planned to meet the Fall 2025 semester deadline. It encompassed a 150,000-sf interior renovation and a 160,000 sf vertical expansion, paired with a full infrastructure upgrade. Together, these efforts created a cutting-edge environment designed to foster interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, reinforcing Temple’s commitment to advancing public health.

Navigating a Complex Transformation

Beneath the polished result was an intricate construction process that demanded innovation, precision, and seamless coordination. The project combined three major efforts: renovating an existing facility, adding a two-story vertical expansion, and constructing a new ground-up addition. Each component was tightly interwoven, with the progress in one area often dependent on the successful advancement of another, demanding a tightly synchronized schedule to ensure milestones aligned, and momentum continued across the site.

Existing building conditions added complexity. The team encountered inconsistent slab depths and varying rebar densities when tying existing elevations and concrete structures into the addition. Additional challenges included cutting through three original concrete decks to create a dramatic multi-story atrium. This new light well, anchored by a learning stair, now serves as a centerpiece drawing daylight deep into the building’s core. Integrating new structural elements into the legacy frame required meticulous field verification and detailing to ensure alignment and stability.

Adding to the challenge was the building’s unconventional geometry. Far from a standard rectangular footprint, the design featured radius conditions, a curved floor plan, and a layered, high-performance exterior envelope. The façade incorporated sunshades, curtain walls, and a mix of terracotta and granite finishes - each requiring sustained, trade-by-trade coordination.

Project Features

The building envelope was redesigned with a bold new entrance featuring two light wells, an atrium, and a modern skin of stone, terracotta rainscreen, masonry veneer, ACM panels, and curtainwall glazing. The steel-framed addition includes CMU walls, concrete foundations, EPDM roofing, and two vegetated green roofs for sustainability and stormwater management.

Inside, flexible classrooms, research labs, faculty offices, café, event space, sensory room, and a dramatic green wall foster learning and collaboration. At its core, the state-ofthe-art Simulation Center replicates real-world environments including: a park, a row home, an ambulance bay, and a hospital floor, with observation and control spaces for realtime feedback.

The Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen features induction cooktops and commercial-grade support spaces, offering community education programs like SNAP-focused instruction. On the first floor, two large classrooms convert into four smaller rooms via Skyfold motorized, acoustically rated partitions for maximum flexibility and space utilization.

Delivering a Landmark Project in the Middle of an Urban Campus

Constructing a major facility at the center of Temple University’s active campus required precise logistics and heightened security coordination. The Rycon team met these demands by implementing controlled access with dedicated security personnel, coordinating hourly with campus police during peak class transitions, and managing lock and gate operations throughout the project’s duration.

On a landlocked site with limited laydown space, deliveries were scheduled “just in time”, trailers staged in the mezzanine, and the crane positioned within the tight fence line. Minimal off-site storage kept critical materials accessible while reducing double handling.

Despite the constraints, the project achieved phased occupancy: basement areas were operational by August 8, classes began in newly completed spaces on August 25, and the grand opening, featuring a public dedication with local and state legislators, was held on October 10.

Sustainability and Wellness by Design

Designed for LEED and WELL certification, the building integrates wellness and sustainability throughout. Green roofs mitigate heat and manage stormwater, while a living wall in the atrium enhances air quality and aesthetics. Installing the wall required close coordination of irrigation, drainage, roofing, and grow light systems to ensure plant viability.

A Home for Health, A Resource for Philadelphia

The new facility unifies CPH’s satellite programs into a five-story (plus basement and mezzanine) academic home. Located steps from the library and core services, it offers students and faculty a centralized, interdisciplinary environment. Flexible classrooms, advanced labs, and immersive simulation suites prepare students to deliver care across the full continuum—from community settings to clinical environments and back again.

The project exemplifies how thoughtful planning, technologyenabled coordination, and union craftsmanship can deliver a complex, beautiful building on a tight urban site. It’s a powerful investment in student success and community wellness - and a new campus beacon for public health.

Thank you to our GBCA project team members; A.T. Chadwick Company, Inc., Anthony Biddle Contractors, Inc., BrandSafway Services, LLC, Chesco Coring & Cutting, Inc., ClarkDietrich Building Systems, Concrete Cutting Systems, Inc., Creative Surfaces, Inc., EDA Contractors, Inc., Fizzano Bros. Concrete Products, Inc., Graboyes Commercial Windo and Glass Solutions, Guthrie Glass & Metal, Inc., Hilti Inc., Hispanic Ventures, Inc., Independence Steel and Erectors, Joseph Dugan, Inc., PDM Constructors, Inc., Revolution Recovery, LLC, Torrado Construction Co., Inc., Tri-State Construction Inc., Unified Door & Hardware Group, LLC, Tru-Fit Frame and Door.