Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Project Description

TechVentures2 is a 47,000-square-foot expansion to the original TechVentures, a facility that provides workspace to meet the needs of emerging technology-oriented businesses.

Awards

Project Details

  • Client Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA
  • Location Bethlehem, PA View map
  • Use Incubator
  • Sq. ft. 47,000
  • Completed 2011

Located on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop campus, TechVentures2 includes research labs, offices, and conference and meeting space to support an entrepreneurial culture and fuel innovation.

The building is designed to harmonize with the existing TechVentures facility, which was an adaptive reuse of the former Bethlehem Steel Homer Research Lab building (also designed by Spillman Farmer). The addition’s south façade features a glass curtain wall to take advantage of natural daylight.…

Located on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop campus, TechVentures2 includes research labs, offices, and conference and meeting space to support an entrepreneurial culture and fuel innovation.

The building is designed to harmonize with the existing TechVentures facility, which was an adaptive reuse of the former Bethlehem Steel Homer Research Lab building (also designed by Spillman Farmer). The addition’s south façade features a glass curtain wall to take advantage of natural daylight. Sunshades on the exterior and light shelves on the interior further manage daylight. On the roof, a photovoltaic solar array will generate a portion of the building’s electricity, demonstrating the viability of this technology and contributing to the sustainable future. In Spring of 2013, TechVentures2 was awarded LEED Gold Certification by the United States Green Building Council. The building has also been recognized EnergySTAR Certified facility under the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s EnergySTAR program.

The TechVentures2 addition brought the facility’s total space up to 109,000 square feet, nearly all of which was filled with tenants by 2016. To address the mounting demand for incubator and wet lab space, Spillman Farmer again collaborated with Ben Franklin to design a second expansion, the TechVentures West Wing. The newest 20,000-square-foot addition opened in October of 2017.

Award First Place National Honors – US EPA 2011 ENERGY STAR Challenge, 2011

Project Ben Franklin Technology Partners: TechVentures2

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Award Project of the Year – Pennsylvania Economic Development Association, 2011

Project Ben Franklin Technology Partners: TechVentures2

Award Award of Merit – American Institute of Architects Eastern PA Chapter, 2011

Project Ben Franklin Technology Partners: TechVentures2

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Award 10 Startup Incubators You Need to Watch – Inc.com, 2011

Project Ben Franklin Technology Partners: TechVentures2

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Award National Business Incubator of the Year – National Business Incubation Association, 2001

Project Ben Franklin Technology Partners: TechVentures2

Testimonial

Name R. Chadwick Paul, Jr.

Title President & CEO, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA

We have been thoroughly delighted with Spillman Farmer Architects’ work in designing our TechVentures building, from both a functional and an aesthetic perspective. With the funding from this facility coming from a variety of sources including government and other grants, there were numerous building and timetable conditions and stipulations from the outset. Our need to meet the diverse requirements of a variety of early-stage firms, our interest in saving energy and utilizing alternative energy sources, and designing for LEED certification added further challenges to the facility design. Spillman Farmer exceeded our expectations, designing on time, on budget, and with grace under pressure.