New train and bus station design plans underway in Massachusetts

on Friday,April 08,2011 21:04

The design process for a new Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts has begun after a long 30-plus year wait. The architect working on the project explained that he will first find offices and retail stores to purchase part of the massive depot, according to The Republican.

The other part of the $70 million project includes the refurbishment of the 200,000-square-foot terminal building, train platform, bus terminal and parking garage. The construction is set to begin in the summer of 2012 and be completed in 2015. The Boston-based company that was hired to create the design, HDR Architecture Inc., is contracted to make $4.2 million from the job.

Donald Warner, the senior vice president of HDR Architecture, Inc., explains to the news source that the new station is "a historic project, but we need to remember we are building a 21st century facility."

Jobs for individuals who hold architecture degrees consist of constantly creating and conversing with clients. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in five architects worked 50-plus hours a week in 2008.