DeSales University: Robert J. Breslin Welcome Center
Project Information
Robert J Breslin Welcome Center at DeSales University
Isett’s first project as a company involved a campus-wide survey at DeSales University (then Allentown College). Nearly 50 years later, our working relationship continues with survey, engineering design, environmental consulting, and construction inspection services for the newest building on campus: The Robert J. Breslin Welcome Center. The building is named in honor of the late Robert (Bob) Breslin, a prominent Lehigh Valley architect who was Lead Architect for many of the buildings on campus, with the new building design provided by his namesake firm, Breslin Architects.
The new Welcome Center at DeSales University is a comprehensive endeavor that includes both exterior improvements and a purposeful design, creating an impactful entrance statement for campus visitors. The building itself is a 7,760 square foot, one-story steel-frame structure enhancing the overall functionality and appeal of the campus entrance. Situated prominently at the terminus of the main access road, Preston Lane, it fills a void by functioning as the welcoming front door for visitors and prospective students.
The hallmark of the structural design includes a 65-foot bell tower that acts as a visual landmark for the campus (pictured architectural renderings and structural design rendering). The building’s interior layout includes a large, open gathering space complemented by numerous study and work rooms, presentation rooms, and administrative areas.
Exterior site enhancements include a gateway piazza; pavilion; large, terraced seating area; natural landscape design; and stormwater management systems. Beyond the immediate building footprint of the Welcome Center, the project also includes additional improvements for traffic flow including emergency access drives; improved pedestrian walkways; and various accessibility and circulation improvements.
Given the location along Landis Mill Road, a State Road, the project necessitated Highway Occupancy Permitting (HOP) services, and since there was more than one acre of disturbance, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit was required to address stormwater management requirements effectively.
