COMPLETION
2009

AREA
194,000 GSF New

COST 
109 Million

OWNER/DEVELOPER
City University of New York
Dormitory Authority State of NY

DESIGN TEAM
Polshek Partnership
Lekhani & Jordan Engineers
Leslie Robertson Associates
RA Heintges & Associates
GPR Planners Collaborative/Jacobs

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
The McKissack Group
Turner Construction

PROGRAM
General Classrooms
Teaching Labs
Computer Labs
Dining Hall/Kitchen
Faculty Office
Faculty Research Labs

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This mid-rise academic sciences building is on the urban campus of Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, NY. As part of the City University of New York, it houses the School of Science with focus in health and technology. Departments of biology, mathematics, nursing, physical, environmental and computer sciences are distributed by floor over 5 levels with shared and common spaces clustered near the ground level.

The floor plans provide each department with support spaces and access to faculty offices and research labs, while the building section and circulation space encourage interdepartmental collaboration. Encouraging and providing a means for cross-disciplinary interchange is achieved architecturally through a central communicating stair, open fire stair at the west end and corridor spaces that invite social interaction with seating and informal work space. Opportunities to showcase faculty and student work are located in cases and vitrines throughout the facility.

The formal arrangement is a bar building with 2 story assembly and lobby space at the corner of the lot. The plan articulates at the circulation spine and pulls back from the street to form a shallow public plaza and then folds again at the west end for a secondary entrance. Brick masonry textured by a recessed coursing and ribbon windows alternate to form the mass of building exterior.

Conventional aluminum and glass curtain wall define the circulation space and provide natural light to the interior corridor. Patch supported fritted glazing encloses a dining hall above the main entrance lobby and lecture halls. The activity of the occupants is revealed through transparency and movement through the building is facilitated and encouraged with access to natural light and views across the campus. 

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INVOLVEMENT
CD, CA
Staff Architect (10 months)

Vertical Circulation, Exterior Wall

• Detailed and coordinated ornamental egress and monumental stairs.
• Reviewed and edited specifications for glass rails, ornamental metals, precast terrazzo.
• Coordinated structural, MEP, FA/FA requirements.
• Brick masonry veneer cavity wall construction, coursing, layout.
• Aluminum window detailing and type scheduling.
• Zinc panel and aluminum composite panel cladding system layout and detailing.
• Entrance canopy detailing and coordination
• System selection and performance specifications review and detail selection.
• Early fabrication with design mockups and unitized panel analysis.
• Custom solar shade detailing.