State University College at Buffalo
New Technology Building
SLAM designed a new $25 million facility that establishes an educational center for technology recognized for industry education and integrated learning, replacing existing facilities that were inadequate for high-tech manufacturing research and instruction. The technology center includes new labs capable of teaching and research; lean production; materials testing; environment and information technologies.
Planning and design goals included creation of a building that anticipates the future and serves the technical needs of Buffalo State and the industrial community; provides a flexible environment that can transition from immediate to future programmatic and technical requirements; and builds community and serves as a campus magnet and focal point.
The scope of work also included the hazardous material abatement and complete demolition of two existing buildings on the proposed site.
- to enhance the image and reputation of the School of the Professions, including Computer Information Systems, Mechanical, Electrical and Industrial Engineering, Textile and Fashion to help attract businesses and industries, advance the school’s research and education missions, provide opportunities for student job placement and attract full-time faculty
- to create a facility that promotes technology and is a model for sustainability and innovation by bringing together diverse programs within the same ‘School’ to encourage collaborative and trans-disciplinary thinking
- to create an environment that promotes both informal and formal collaboration between faculty and students
- The bar shape configuration, elongated along the east-west axis, provides ideal passive solar orientation and preserves the south portion of the site for expansion. The building massing also steps down to allow daylight into common spaces.
- A green roof over the two-story industrial lab block, a solar panel array on the upper roof, and energy monitoring systems enhance the building performance and showcase the schools commitment to sustainability. LEED Silver Certification will easily be achieved with LEED Gold a distinct possibility.
- The diverse program, including computer labs, industrial labs, fashion labs, exterior platform for solar experiments and teaching spaces are configured on 3-stories around an open central lobby and corridor that integrates several informal ‘break-out’ spaces to encourage collaboration.
- The formal and material expression of the building grows out a celebration of the process of “ideation to implementation”. An upper ’slab’ form, wrapped in high-tech metal panels, hovers above a natural stone ‘plinth’. The interstitial material is glass to emphasize the fluid nature of this process.
- Structural and mechanical systems are artfully exposed to further engage the building inhabitants with the layers of the building.
