Insight Meditation Society Forest Refuge
North Branch Construction was chosen as Construction Manager for this project and worked with the Owner and Architect throughout the schematic design phase to bring the project within the owner’s budget. The project is a new retreat campus for the Insight Meditation Society and is nestled on a 3.5 acre hillside site in Barre, Massachusetts. The project consisted of nine one- and two-story, residential-sized buildings including a dining hall, dormitory, meditation hall, administration building, counseling center, staff housing, and pump house/vehicle storage facility. Construction of the $5.9 million project involved nine buildings being completed simultaneously, and the remote location of the project created a challenge in a tight construction labor market. Despite the difficulties, the project was completed on schedule and budget The Forest Refuge rounds out two neighboring associated programs for the Insight Meditation Society and Barre Center for Meditation and allows its members to further pursue their Buddhist studies. O’Neil Pennoyer of Groton, Massachusetts were the Architects for the project.