Groundbreaking for $75M Farmingdale College Computer Sci Center

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the leadership of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, State University Construction Fund, Farmingdale State College (FSC) and Urbahn Architects celebrated the groundbreaking of Farmingdale State College’s new state-of-the-art Computer Sciences Center, a part of the Governor’s efforts to advance science and technology research and economic opportunities for New Yorkers. The project is made possible by a $30 million investment through Empire State Development’s Long Island Investment Fund (LIIF) and $45 million in capital funding from SUNY.

“In New York, we are shaping our students to be the next generation of leaders,” Governor Hochul said. “Our SUNYs and CUNYs provide an exceptional and well-rounded education for New Yorkers to explore science and technology research — the groundbreaking of the Computer Sciences Center at Farmingdale will uncover technological advancements and advance economic opportunities in our state; that’s how we build a better New York.”

Designed by Urbahn Architects, the facility will be the first net zero carbon capable building in the SUNY system. The three-story structure, sited within the college’s central mall, will be located adjacent to Sinclair Hall. It will integrate seven academic programs in a single building: baccalaureate programs in computer programming and information systems, computer science, computer security technology, geographic information systems and science, and science and technology & society. It will also incorporate the college’s technology management graduate program and a host of certificate programs. In addition, the Center will house an 1,800-square-foot business incubator on the ground floor for use by local computer and information technology industry businesses.

“Expected to be completed in 2028, the 52,000-square-foot facility will be the first net zero carbon capable building designed to meet SUNY’s energy and carbon reduction goals as well as New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and Executive Order 22,” explained Urbahn Architects Principal Natale V. Barranco, AIA, LEED AP. “In order to achieve this, Urbahn performed extensive energy efficiency studies and designed the façade to meet Passive House standards. The Center will house new classrooms, computer labs, seminar spaces and a collaborative space for industry-related vendors. It will support Farmingdale’s rapidly growing computer and information science programs, which have experienced a 40 percent increase in enrollment over the last five years.”

SUNY Chancellor John B. King said, “Our SUNY campuses play an integral role in preparing the next generation of skilled professionals for New York’s advancing STEM sector. We applaud Governor Hochul’s vision and commitment, and we are thankful for our partnership with Empire State Development, which has made the Computer Sciences Center at Farmingdale a reality.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Today’s groundbreaking at Farmingdale State College represents a transformative step forward for Long Island’s technology sector. This project will catalyze economic growth across the region by connecting talented students directly with industry partners who need their skills. As businesses and academia collaborate in innovative ways, we’ll see accelerated technological advancement, a more robust talent pipeline, and a stronger, more competitive New York economy ready to lead in tomorrow’s technology landscape.”

President of Farmingdale State College Robert S. Prezant said, “We are beyond grateful to Governor Hochul, the Empire State Development Corporation, the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, and the State University of New York for their support in the development of the Computer Sciences Center building on the Farmingdale State College campus. So much more than a building, the center will provide a hub of advanced technology education and programming, enabling interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation, research, and learning. It will also allow us to support increasing enrollment in our technology programs with a focus on workforce development.”

In addition to Urbahn, the project team includes structural engineer LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, mechanical and electrical engineer Lizardos, plumbing and fire protection engineer CSA Group, geothermal engineer P.W. Grosser Consulting, landscape designer Edgewater Design. The joint venture of Trident Construction and Elite Construction of NY serves as construction manager.

Image Courtesy of: Urbahn Architects

ARCHITECTURE AND SITE DESIGN

The new building’s light-colored northwestern façade of concrete panels will face the ellipse and campus mall, and visually harmonize with the adjacent School of Business, also designed by Urbahn and completed in 2014. The southeastern façade will feature a more traditional brick look that echoes the campus’ architectural heritage. A distinctive hook-shaped layout creates two wings joined by a light-filled central lobby.

“The building had to meet both budget restraints and net zero carbon goals. We have achieved both through innovative exterior design and highly efficient engineering systems,” shared Urbahn Architects Associate Principal Bridgette Van Sloun, AIA, CPHC, WELL AP. “A high performance, Passive House design-rated exterior envelope with a triple glazed curtain wall will minimize energy loss. The building’s walls will feature highly efficient R-30 insulation, and the thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) membrane roof will have an R-60 rating.”

In addition to energy savings and reduction in the carbon footprint, the structure’s energy efficient envelope allowed the designers to recover valuable interior floor space within the building. “Working with the college leadership, we specified overhead heating vents rather than the conventional perimeter radiators typically installed to heat up colder interior air near inefficient windows and exterior walls. The high-performance envelope limits thermal bridging and eliminates the need for traditional perimeter heating, thus freeing up floor space,” explained Van Sloun.

The site design presented the architectural team with several challenges, including locating the new building in a manner that preserves the campus’ six historic oak trees. One of them is the famed Memorial Oak planted on June 4,1921 to honor those who fought in WWI. The planting ceremony for this tree involved placing soils collected from every U.S. state as well as all of the Allied Nations.

The selected building footprint avoids the removal of any of these cherished trees. In addition, the designers developed a creative foundation system that steps back from root zones and houses mechanical systems in a carefully positioned basement location. The site work will also include a new 280-space surface parking lot, new walk paths and low maintenance landscaping of native grasses and bushes.

One of the innovative aspects of the project’s site design and engineering will be a new geothermal heating and cooling system installed underground, adjacent to the new school’s structure. According to Michael Scanlon,

PE, Project Manager at P.W. Grosser Consulting, “With the exception of the server rooms, the system will handle most of the heating and cooling load of the building utilizing the Earth’s thermal energy. It will reduce the campus’s dependence on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 48 tons annually, which translates to an 80 percent reduction of emission that conventional heating and cooling equipment would produce.”

The geothermal system’s heat pump will require a lower amount of maintenance compared to a more conventional boiler/chiller system. Overall, the geothermal unit is expected to produce approximately 50 percent annual utility cost savings compared to a traditional system and will help the project to meet New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goals.

Image Courtesy of: Urbahn Architects

INTERIOR DESIGN

Students and faculty will enter the building through a 2,200-square-foot lobby designed to accommodate both those working and studying within as well as the anticipated foot traffic passing through from the residential zone and adjacent parking lot to other points on campus. In addition to the lobby and business incubator, the ground floor will host three 800-square-foot specialty computer labs (Security Operations Center, Network Laboratory, Networking Forensics Laboratory), standard classroom faculty offices and support spaces.

The lobby will feature the building’s most engaging design elements – an expansive glazed curtain wall that will deliver ample natural light and inviting views of the campus ellipse. The lobby will house multiple seating sections with wooden benches on top of traditional terrazzo flooring that mixes white with a natural color aggregate.

The visual focus within the lobby is a dynamic, free-standing architectural stair, with a seating area tucked below. The steel stair will have a V-shaped structural support element beneath the mid-landing that is incorporated into a wooden bench on the ground floor. The exposed stair structure will be brushed steel and will include a glass guardrail system with integrated handrails and terrazzo treads that match the lobby floor.

The space will also house a feature wall. Its design consists of several panels in varying shades of green and articulated by reveals. The double-height ceilings will feature beech wood acoustic tiles and panels that are perforated for acoustical performance. The lighting will mainly be integrated into the ceiling, supplemented by several pendant fixtures.

The second floor will house six 800-square-foot classrooms, a 400-square-foot seminar room, a large conference room, the seminar room, faculty offices and administrative spaces. The third floor will include six 800-square-foot computer labs and offices. The second and third floors will each feature a student lounge that overlooks the campus through expansive windows. The roof will have three large HVAC units concealed from view with a screen system for aesthetic reasons.

All classrooms and computer spaces will have an increased number of electrical outlets and 50 percent of the outlets will be connected to occupancy sensors for energy efficiency. The classrooms will also include energy saving daylight sensors that will either dim or turn off the ceiling lighting, depending on the amount of natural light coming through the windows.

Urbahn Architects

Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025, Urbahn Architects is a full-service planning and design firm based in New York City. Since its founding in 1945, Urbahn has designed projects for organizations and institutions that operate in the education, public and governmental, transportation, hospitality, healthcare, science, justice and public safety, multi-family residential and infrastructure sectors. The firm also operates a regional office in Jakarta, Indonesia, focused on projects in the Far East. The current value of Urbahn’s current domestic and international projects totals approximately $4 billion.

Four principals lead the firm: Donald E. Henry, Jr., AIA, LEED AP, CPHC; Natale V. Barranco, AIA, LEED AP; Rafael Stein, AIA; and Ranabir Sengupta, AIA, LEED AP.

Building Design & Construction magazine ranks Urbahn as the 79th largest architecture and planning firm in the United States and the nation’s 73rd largest higher education designer. Engineering News-Record New York magazine recently recognized Urbahn as the Design Firm of the Year. The studio designed some of the nation’s most iconic structures, including the Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL and the Fermi National Accelerator Lab in Batavia, IL.

Urbahn’s recent work in higher education includes the State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz Engineering Innovation Hub in New Paltz, NY; City University of New York (CUNY) Lehman College Nursing Education Research & Practice Center in Bronx, NY; The College of New Jersey Science Complex in Ewing, NJ; SUNY Stony Brook West Apartment Complex in Stony Brook, NY; SUNY Farmingdale State College School of Business, Greenley Library Renovation, and Broad Hollow Bioscience Park in Farmingdale, NY; and Usha Martin University Master Plan in Ranchi, India.

In addition to its extensive portfolio of domestic projects, Urbahn has worked as a planner and architect delivering design services around the globe, including hospitality, healthcare and commercial projects in Indonesia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, India, Somalia, Uganda and Nigeria.

Additional information: www.urbahn.com

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale State College offers 47 degree programs focused on emerging, high-demand, and relevant careers to help prepare the next generation of leaders in technology, engineering, business, healthcare, science and the arts. With more than 10,000 students, FSC is SUNY’s largest college of applied science and technology. About 80% of FSC students are employed six months after graduation or enrolled in graduate school, and 62% graduate debt-free. FSC is home to Broad Hollow Bioscience Park, which supports the development of biotech start-up companies and partners with surrounding businesses and research institutions along the Route 110 Business Corridor. Our engaging student experience, highly inclusive campus and sustained commitment to accessibility, affordability, and student support, help make FSC one of the best values in higher education.

Feature Image Courtesy of: Urbahn Architects