flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Perkins+Will-designed engineering building at University of Buffalo opens

Perkins+Will-designed engineering building at University of Buffalo opens

Clad in glass and copper-colored panels, the three-story building thrusts outward from the core of the campus to establish a new identity for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the campus at large.


By Posted by Tim Gregorski, Senior Editor | May 31, 2012
The new hall is tracking for USGBC LEED Gold certification.
The new hall is tracking for USGBC LEED Gold certification.

The new home of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, designed by Perkins+Will, opened at the University at Buffalo. Co-locating the departments of computer science and electrical engineering in a single facility, the 133,000-sf Barbara and Jack Davis Hall creates an collaborative education and research environment.

Clad in glass and copper-colored panels, the three-story building thrusts outward from the core of the campus to establish a new identity for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the campus at large. Formerly scattered among seven different locations, the engineering campus is now focused and consolidated, with a defined “front door” for the school and a new quad and interior common spaces.??

Davis Hall will enable the University at Buffalo to expand research in nanotechnology, pattern recognition and bio-based security systems, among other fields. The hybrid design of the hall stresses the value of interactive space for learning and discovery. The building is organized around a glass-enclosed, multi-story gallery that facilitates pedestrian traffic into the existing campus, creates an interactive educational/research environment, and culminates in a multi-tiered student lounge that activates a new courtyard shared with the existing Marcel Breuer buildings.

Facing south, the glass gallery is a daylight-filled science commons that includes open staircases that allow for spontaneous student and staff interaction. It also comprises a series of interlocking volumes that include windows into laboratories for the active display of technological research. Throughout the building, which also houses the Center of Excellence in Document Analysis and Recognition (CEDAR) and the Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS), cross-disciplinary zones are distributed for informal gathering spaces equipped with SMART Boards.

The new hall is tracking for USGBC LEED Gold certification through features like enhanced building shell insulation, high-performance windows and energy efficient lighting, the building improves overall energy performance 33.8% above the baseline ASHRAE 90.1-2004 requirements. +

Related Stories

Legislation | Aug 5, 2022

D.C. City Council moves to require net-zero construction by 2026

The Washington, D.C. City Council unanimously passed legislation that would require all new buildings and substantial renovations in D.C. to be net-zero construction by 2026.

Cultural Facilities | Aug 5, 2022

A time and a place: Telling American stories through architecture

As the United States enters the year 2026, it will commence celebrating a cycle of Sestercentennials, or 250th anniversaries, of historic and cultural events across the land.

Sponsored | | Aug 4, 2022

Brighter vistas: Next-gen tools drive sustainability toward net zero line

New technologies, innovations, and tools are opening doors for building teams interested in better and more socially responsible design. 

| Aug 4, 2022

Newer materials for green, resilient building complicate insurance underwriting

Insurers can’t look to years of testing on emerging technology to assess risk.

Sustainability | Aug 4, 2022

To reduce disease and fight climate change, design buildings that breathe

Healthy air quality in buildings improves cognitive function and combats the spread of disease, but its implications for carbon reduction are perhaps the most important benefit.

Multifamily Housing | Aug 4, 2022

Faculty housing: A powerful recruitment tool for universities

Recruitment is a growing issue for employers located in areas with a diminishing inventory of affordable housing. 

Multifamily Housing | Aug 3, 2022

7 tips for designing fitness studios in multifamily housing developments

Cortland’s Karl Smith, aka “Dr Fitness,” offers advice on how to design and operate new and renovated gyms in apartment communities.

Building Materials | Aug 3, 2022

Shawmut CEO Les Hiscoe on coping with a shaky supply chain in construction

BD+C's John Caulfield interviews Les Hiscoe, CEO of Shawmut Design and Construction, about how his firm keeps projects on schedule and budget in the face of shortages, delays, and price volatility.

Codes and Standards | Aug 3, 2022

Some climate models underestimate risk of future floods

Commonly used climate models may be significantly underestimating the risk of floods this century, according to a new study by Yale researchers.

| Aug 3, 2022

Designing learning environments to support the future of equitable health care

While the shortage of rural health care practitioners was a concern before the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health crisis has highlighted the importance of health equity in the United States and the desperate need for practitioners help meet the needs of patients in vulnerable rural communities.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021