2024 Southeast Best Projects | Merit Higher Ed/Research – Jack C. Massey Center at Belmont University

October 29, 2024

We are honored to share that Engineering News-Record (ENR) selected the Jack C. Massey Center at Belmont University for an Award of Merit in the Higher Education/Research category. Catalyst provided civil engineering services for the project in collaboration with the R.C. Mathews team.

As the new “front door” for Belmont University, the Jack C. Massey Center houses the University’s Welcome Center and Admissions Office, the Belmont Data Collaborative, the Transformational Innovation Hub, and the Cone Center for Entrepreneurship. The Center is named in honor of entrepreneur Jack C. Massey.

This LEED Silver, six-story building was completed in a record-breaking 18 months, made possible through precise preplanning and advanced technology. Catalyst’s engineering services included utility connections, bio-retention systems, and a new drop-off lane along 15th Avenue. To keep the project on schedule, the team strategically ordered key materials, such as steel and limestone, during the early schematic design phase and utilized an in-house VDC team to ensure accurate quantity estimates.

The installation of the building’s prefabricated cupola required meticulous coordination, with delivery scheduled during the university’s spring break to minimize campus disruptions. Built above an active parking garage, the project also involved extra safety measures for elevator installation, including reinforced enclosures to prevent accidents. The Massey Center was completed on time, within budget, and with no safety incidents, officially opening in August 2023.