Since construction of the $18 million remodeling project of the Bainbridge Performing Arts Buxton Center began in 2021, the 1992 building has undergone a transformation and is on track to open in fall of 2023.
As the structure takes shape and mechanical systems are put into place, executive director Dominique Cantwell said the organization has tried to be thoughtful environmental stewards and create energy efficiency, worked to enhance the theatergoer experience and remembered the history of the theater.
A few of the sustainable features of the GOLD Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building include: roof-mounted solar panels to provide 25% of the center’s electric power, low-energy LED lighting fixtures, low-flow plumbing fixtures and an HVAC system with plenum vents in the seating area for healthier airflow.
“Instead of having fans that are circulating air from above and pushing it down, all of the air is actually going to circulate and rise. It’s hugely more energy efficient,” Cantwell said. “It’s a lot quieter, and it also ensures that we’re not all breathing one another’s air. It’s constantly rising, exiting, filtering and entering.”
To increase comfort for patrons, the auditorium seating capacity was reduced from 256 seats to 230 on arched rows. “Instead of packing everybody in. We felt that the quality of the experience is more important,” Cantwell said.
To honor the early days of the theater, the stage floor has been preserved. A side view of the floor reveals the layers of paint from every show performed on that stage.
Pointing to the stage floor, Cantwell explained that floor was for the show that was meant to open three days after COVID closed everything down. “We felt that it was kind of a neat thing to retain and save it.” Eventually, the names of every donor and performer will be installed under the floor to show that the history of the organization is supporting the entire future.
To learn more, register for a guided backstage tour offered each Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Go to bainbridgeperformingarts.thundertix.com/events/196573.
