Drexel University – Thomas R. Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy

Bittenbender Construction served as the General Contractor for the University’s new Institute of Trial Advocacy, formally known as the Thomas R. Kline School of Law. The former Beneficial Savings Fund headquarters is a 1918 Philadelphia Landmark building located on 12th & Chestnut Street in Center City was transformed into the new Thomas R. Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy. The building is over 100-years old and is listed in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

The new design converted the old 40-foot-high banking hall into a state-of-the-art facility for the students and facility including mock court rooms, classrooms, meeting space, and offices. Core/Shell upgrades included the restoration of the wood clad boardroom with the original table and chairs noting past bank presidents. The entry is a breath-taking reflection of architectural history with an atrium space that boost a 3-story frameless glass wall that offers visibility to the main mock court room. The monumental glass wall is a perfect complement to the 50-foot-high original coffered ceiling adorned with plaster rosettes. The design included modern upgrades such as a small glass wall that offers privacy or visibility to the secondary mock count room accessed from the atrium space. The project scope also included exterior masonry restoration, all new MEP systems, new restrooms, new ADA entrance and vertical circulation inclusive of elevators and the addition of Egress Stairs.