The recent transformation of Cornell University’s 160,000-sf Upson Hall could become a blueprint for how this Ivy League college updates other buildings within the engineering quad of its Ithaca, N.Y., campus.
The $74 million project maximized Upson Hall’s interior space featuring four new conference rooms, three social lounges, and public corridors for collaborative learning and research. Advanced envelope, HVAC, and lighting systems were installed to boost the building’s energy performance. And a variegated façade design, composed of terracotta and vertical windows, brings more natural light into the building.
A key factor in this project was the early and ongoing collaboration between the Building Team’s architects Perkins + Will (the original designer of Upson Hall in the 1950s) and Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis; with the engineers Thornton Tomasetti and ME Engineers; and Cornell University Sustainable Design.
P+W and LTL went so far as to embed staff members in each other’s offices during the project. And the collaboration with the engineers was critical because some of the client’s ideas for this building were at cross-purposes. “How do we design a façade that would maximize daylight and thermal capacity at the same time?” said David J. Lewis, a Principal with LTL Architects. The Building Team needed to reconcile aesthetic, energy, and daylight objectives, which included balancing the building’s wall-to-window ratio.
The collaboration “started with everyone being at the table, and with each team member’s commitment” to the process, says Robert Goodwin, architectural design director at P+W’s New York office.
Goodwin and Lewis are Cornell grads.
There was some consideration given to tearing down the building and constructing new. But that was quickly scotched, says Goodwin, because Upson Hall is located between three other buildings on the quad, and is attached to an atrium. The client and Building Team decided, instead, to completely gut the existing building and replace the façade strategically.
The new façade is cantilevered in a way that creates space for social interaction at the corner of the building, says Lewis.
Goodwin says Cornell was a collaborative partner on this project, and its aspirations for sustainability “were very high.” (At one point there was some discussion about reconstructing Upson Hall to Passive House standards.)
The building was designed with four new conference rooms, three social lounges, and public corridors for collaborative learning and research. Image: Michael Moran Photography
The building, which is currently LEED Gold-certified, pending Platinum certification, serves as a “living sustainability lab,” enabling mechanical and aerospace engineering students to work, learn and study in a high-performance, technologically advanced facility.
Upson Hall’s new design specifications will be applied to the other six Cornell buildings located within the engineering Quadrangle over the coming years.
LTL and P+W were so pleased with the interdisciplinary approach the Building Team took that the firms have talked about working together on future products. The revelation for Goodwin was that it’s possible to collaborate of projects in a different way that integrates practices. “This was my first time as a design director that I didn’t wear a design hat. It was very efficient.”
Related Stories
University Buildings | Sep 12, 2016
The University of Chicago’s newest residence halls are designed to be more like home
Abundant common spaces give students more chances to interact.
University Buildings | Aug 17, 2016
Supporting communities of motivated learners: reflections on SCUP-51
The two themes that were consistently woven into different topics were institutional transformation and connection with students.
University Buildings | Aug 16, 2016
New images of Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts revealed by Michael Maltzan Architecture
The arts center will foster creativity for making and presenting works across all disciplines
| Aug 10, 2016
UNIVERSITY GIANTS: Facing money woes, the nation's colleges double down on innovative ideas
Budget constraints are compelling some public institutions to pursue alternative methods of financing their major building projects.
| Aug 9, 2016
Top 70 University Engineering Firms
AECOM, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Jacobs top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest university sector engineering and E/A firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 9, 2016
Top 100 University Construction Firms
Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co, and Skanska USA top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest university sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 9, 2016
Top 100 University Architecture Firms
Gensler, Perkins+Will, and CannonDesign top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest university sector architecture and A/E firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
University Buildings | Aug 5, 2016
How to design the best dining facilities for Millennial students
Location, visibility, and adaptability are three important ideas to keep in mind when designing campus dining spaces, writes Gresham Smith and Partners’ Patrick Gilbert.
University Buildings | Jul 22, 2016
Fast-growing UC Merced will double in size by 2020
The state’s Board of Regents has approved a $1.34 billion plan that would add nearly 1.2 million sf of new space.
University Buildings | Jul 6, 2016
University housing of the future will blend life and study
Universities across the country are striving to meet the demand of on-campus housing. VOA's Steve Siegle examines what students and universities desire in campus living, and how designers can respond.
