The 55,000-square-foot, four-story Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society is LEED Platinum certified and Dartmouth's highest-performing, most energy-efficient building.

Completed in 2022, the project transformed the Murdough Center's outdoor amphitheater into an enclosed four-story central atrium, creating a gathering place for staff and students. The New L-shaped building utilizes plate girders to span over the existing, below-grade Cooke auditorium and was constructed while classes were still being held in the auditorium. The atrium skylights are supported by W36 girders spanning 60 feet to the existing Murdough building, where they are supported on slide bearings imposing no lateral load on the existing structure.

Key structural features include:

• Built-up plate girders to transfer building columns above the existing auditorium
• Long-span girders creating a light-filled atrium featuring skylights
• Slide bearing connections to minimize impact on the existing structure.
• Double-skin glass façade system that allows for natural air flow