Southern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) has greatly expanded their science programming with the opening of the 103,608 square foot Academic Science and Laboratory Science Building in August 2015. The new Academic and Laboratory Science Building hosts teaching and research labs for physics, earth science, environmental science, molecular biology and chemistry. It includes a supercomputing lab for research in theoretical physics, bioinformatics and computer science. The building was designed and documented entirely in BIM using Revit and the project has attained LEED Gold certification. Budget $49M.
The building houses the Werth Center for Marine and Coastal Studies, on the second floor and the CSU Center for Nanotechnology is located on the ground floor, where the laboratory space is designed to isolate the building’s vibrations — important when dealing with microscopic materials. The center has several new labs, including an analytic lab and a sediment coastal science lab.
A saltwater aquaria room with a touch tank is also featured in the new building and serves as a centerpiece for outreach to area schools and the community. Other amenities include an outdoor rock garden showcasing rocks indigenous to Connecticut; six rooftop telescope stations strategically placed to eliminate interference from city lights; a pair of 50-seat general purpose classrooms, as well as office space and study/common areas. Scientific displays are located throughout the building to showcase faculty and student research.
Architect: Centerbrook Architects and Planners
2018 ACEC NY Excellence in Engineering Gold Award category Structural Systems
