Moravian University's new Haupert Union Building. Photo by Nick Chismar ’20
Top Projects Awards will be presented at Lehigh Valley Business’ Real Estate & Development Summit on March 11.
Today, Moravian University announced that Lehigh Valley Business has selected the Haupert Union Building (HUB) to receive a 2026 Top Projects Award.
The HUB is a 82,000-square-foot, $45 million investment in Moravian University students and was designed by Earl Swensson Associates (ESa), with student wellness at the forefront and construction overseen by Warfel Construction. Opened in October 2025, the student center features a new health and counseling center, a reimagined space for veterans, a centrally located Laurie Riley ’82 Center for Career Success, a meditation space for students, an event and conference center for university partners and much, much more.
In April 2025, it was announced the HUB was a WELL pre-certified facility. When fully certified, the HUB will be the first WELL certified building in the Lehigh Valley and one of only 13 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition, only one other higher education facility in Pennsylvania has earned WELL certification, a building at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School in Philadelphia.
“The HUB is a building designed for the ‘whole student’ — a place where wellness, career preparation, community and belonging all converge,” commented Moravian University President Bryon Grigsby ’90, P’22, P’26, P’29 when he welcomed guests to the HUB in November 2025.
Top Projects is an awards program that honors the best building and construction projects in the Lehigh Valley that were completed between January and December 2025. The awards are not only a look back at the excellent work that’s taken place in the previous year, but they also anticipate how these plans and projects potentially establish landmarks of the future.
Projects were judged on the following criteria: degree of difficulty, creativity in design, innovative construction techniques, cooperation among contractors, management, and in some cases government, adaptive reuse and sustainability efforts. In addition, the projects must have been located in Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Lower Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Upper Bucks and Schuylkill counties. Winners of the 2026 Top Projects Awards were chosen by the editors of Lehigh Valley Business.
“The 2026 Top Projects honorees are leaving a notable mark on the landscape of the Lehigh Valley. Their innovative projects feature quality design and construction in addition to creating jobs, building healthy spaces and helping businesses achieve their goals,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/Lehigh Valley Business. “Lehigh Valley Business is pleased to shine a spotlight on these individuals and organizations in the real estate community for their outstanding achievements.”
The Top Projects Awards will be presented at Lehigh Valley Business’ Real Estate and Development Summit on March 11 at DeSales’ University Center, 2755 Station Road in Center Valley. The summit begins at 8 a.m. and features a breakfast buffet, exhibits, networking, keynote speaker, and panel discussion. The Top Projects Awards celebration begins at 9:30 a.m. The event hashtag is #LVBevents.
The summit’s keynote speaker is Matt Christopherson, director of business and consumer research at the National Association of REALTORS® in Washington, D.C. A panel discussion on the topic of “Data Centers: Power, Infrastructure and the Deals they Drive” will be hosted by Ron Reybitz of Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba (FLB).
Moravian University Haupert Union Building (HUB) Renovation: 1125 Monocacy Street, Bethlehem
Project Owner: Moravian University
Contractor: Warfel Construction
Architect and Interior Designer: Earl Swensson Associates (ESa)
Mechanical Engineer: Snyder Hoffman Associates, Inc.
Sub Contractor: IT Landes
Media contact:
Moravian University
Michael Corr
corrm@moravian.edu
610.861.1365
About Moravian University
Moravian University, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is the nation’s sixth-oldest university and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates. For more than 280 years, Moravian University’s education has been preparing each individual for a reflective life, fulfilling careers and transformative leadership in a world of change. Moravian University is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities (NACU), a national consortium of private comprehensive colleges and universities working together to graduate extraordinary professionals for a global workforce and society.
In 2024, Moravian University became part of a World Heritage designation when Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem, Gracehill (Northern Ireland, UK), and Herrnhut (Saxony, Germany) joined Christiansfeld (Denmark) as a single World Heritage Site—Moravian Church Settlements. Moravian is just the second university in the United States to be part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and only the eighth university in the world to have this recognition.
Visit moravian.edu to learn more about how Moravian University prepares its students for lifelong success.
About Lehigh Valley Business
Lehigh Valley Business is a multimedia news source with 39 years of journalistic excellence that breaks news daily on its website, LVB.com. It also publishes a print and online edition. Additionally, Lehigh Valley Business publishes special focus sections and products throughout the year, including the yearly Book of Lists. It also hosts 10 annual events, including Women of Influence, Icon Honors, and Forty Under 40, to recognize excellence and provide leadership opportunities. Lehigh Valley Business facilitates thoughtful discussion with market leaders through its webinar series. Its Digital Marketing Solutions help customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing, and more. Lehigh Valley Business and its sister publication, Central Penn Business Journal, are part of BridgeTower Media, the authoritative voice for insights and marketing solutions across 40+ brands in five key sectors across the United States.