Kansas City, Mo. (April 7, 2010) – BNIM announces that it will be working with Chatham University to lay the foundation for the future of its newly acquired 388-acre Eden Hall Campus in Richland Township, Pa., which will include the home of the new School of Sustainability and the Environment. The firm is partnering with landscape design firm Andropogon Associates of Philadelphia for the master planning process.

Chatham University, which celebrates its 140th anniversary during 2009-2010, received a a $750,000 gift from the Richard King Mellon Foundation toward the master plan and the University’s search for the dean of its new School of Sustainability and the Environment (SSE). The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE: PNC), also contributed funds for the master plan. SSE will be one of the first schools of sustainability in the United States, and Chatham’s Eden Hall Campus will be one of the country’s first university campuses built from the ground up in the 21st century. It will complement the University’s historic 39-acre Shadyside Campus which is the city’s oldest original university campus.

“This is a historic time for Chatham University and for the region as we embark upon planning not only a second campus, but also establishing an institution to address sustainability for the 21st century,” noted S. Murray Rust III, chair of Chatham’s Board of Trustees. “BNIM and Andropogon are the nation’s preeminent designers of sustainable living and working environments, and are poised to make us think big about our campus’ potential.

“We are also grateful and honored that the PNC Foundation and Richard King Mellon Foundation, two stewards of green building and sustainable design in Pittsburgh, are supporting this process.”

The hiring of BNIM and Andropogon represents the culmination of hands-on research of other public and university programs around the country by University leaders, according to Chatham President Esther L. Barazzone, Ph.D. One inspiration behind the planning and mission for Eden Hall Campus was the legacy of Chatham alumna Rachel Carson, Class of 1929 and founder of the modern environmental movement.

“Since receiving Eden Hall Campus as a gift from Eden Hall Foundation in 2008, our Trustees, faculty and administration have carefully and diligently researched sustainable practices and projects throughout the U.S. to help us understand how we could build a living and learning environment that would make our most honored alumna, Rachel Carson, truly proud,” Dr. Barazzone explained. “After reviewing proposals from several firms, we found that BNIM and Andropogon were set to challenge us to think beyond what we had learned and truly create a landmark institution unparalleled in higher education.”

“We could have no better team than BNIM and Andropogon to lead us through the master planning process. Their commitment to its success has helped to generate interest and excitement in this project throughout the community, as evidenced by the support of PNC and Richard King Mellon Foundation.”

“BNIM is helping to expand and develop Chatham’s vision by translating it into a plan for development and conservation that will build a strong academic community to prepare students for a changing workforce,” said Kathy Achelpohl, AIA, BNIM Principal. “The goal of creating a sustainable future is one that we share with the university and we are eager to help them build excitement for the Eden Hall Campus.”

BNIM, Andropogon and the University will present the master plan to the Chatham Board of Trustees for approval and later, to the Richland Township Board of Supervisors, in June 2010.