Construction is scheduled to begin this spring on Wilmington University’s new Concord Pike campus following New Castle County Council’s final approval of the 10-year expansion plan. A 41-acre field at the intersection of Concord Pike (U.S. Route 202) and Beaver Valley Road in Brandywine Hundred, north of downtown Wilmington and minutes from the Delaware-Pennsylvania border, could host classes of WilmU students as early as the fall of 2018.

The university’s plan proposes a three-story classroom and student center building on the $11 million parcel, with an adjoining tree-lined parking lot. It also accounts for the possibility of adding two more buildings in the event that increasing enrollment demands them. In total, the campus could accommodate 250 employees and 1,000 students. In an effort to conserve the natural setting of the Concord Pike site, landscape architects have designed the campus around an existing wooded area and pond. The University will preserve a historic schoolhouse and barn on the property and will incorporate refreshed walking trails and sustainable development practices into the plan. The red brick, stone and glass construction of the proposed buildings is intended to reflect the character of the surrounding Brandywine Valley as well as the university’s New Castle and Dover campus,

Scope of Work

For this job Cameron Home Insulation used spray foam insulation and an air barrier throughout the entire project. A growing number of colleges and schools across the United States are implementing programs aimed at spurring renewable energy building practices. Spray foam insulation performs as an all-in-one product – insulation, air barrier, vapor retarder and, many are classified as a water resistive barrier (WRB). This combination means that there is an opportunity to reduce additional costs (and therefore, also labor costs) as well as time during the construction phase.

As a liquid that is sprayed onto the exterior surface, spray foam in a continuous insulation application allows architects to maintain their unique design elements without compromise. The curves of a building that uses something like a rigid foam board would likely lead to a very labor intensive process since the foam boards need to be cut to shape and then taped at each joint. An installation of closed cell spray foam insulation would be quick, smooth and far less labor intensive as it insulates and air seals in one step while also providing a water resistant barrier.