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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Philadelphia, PA, United States, 11/13/2009 - KSS Architects is designing a new 20,000 sf Professional Studies Building and renovating the existing 43,000 sf Studio West building at SUNY Cortland.
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KSS Architects is designing a new addition and renovation that will transform SUNY Cortland’s Studio West, located prominently on the south entrance of the college campus.
The project, which broke ground in October, will add a 20,000 square feet, two-story addition to the east side of Studio West, a 43,000 sf metal panel and red brick building originally constructed in 1948 and renovated in the 1990s. The addition will become the new Professional Studies Building and consolidate four of the six departments in the institution’s School of Professional Studies into a state-of-the-art facility.
Together, the addition and alterations will accommodate the additional departments’ needs and improve other programs. Working closely with the college, KSS Architects (kssarchitects.com) designed a project to accomplish the following:
• Provide a facade that capitalizes on the Studio West’s prime location. The two-story addition will add distinction to Studio West and strengthen its presence and importance.
• Provide an identity for the School of Professional Studies. This project will reinforce the identity of the building and the school by consolidating its Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies department and Communication Disorders and Sciences department with the Kinesiology and Sports Management departments, along with the dean’s office, in Studio West. Additionally, the north side of the building faces a planned future quad that will reinforce its relationship with the Park Center, the college’s athletic facility.
• Provide an engaging learning environment. The design features many inspiring and comfortable spaces to encourage student and faculty interaction and promote student engagement, which is key to student success and critical to achieving SUNY Cortland’s commitment to academic excellence.
The first floor of the Professional Studies Building will include a clinic with an audiology chamber, observation and therapy rooms, library and resource area for the Communications Disorders and Science department. The second floor will have faculty offices. A 30-foot by 80-foot courtyard and connector will link the Professional Studies Building to the existing building.
The renovation will significantly improve the existing Studio West building. The design reconfigures circulation for easier navigation throughout the building and adds two light wells along two main corridors, which enhance circulation and provide natural light to the building’s center. The design also gives prominence to building entrances. The north entrance will become the main academic entry while the addition will provide a public entrance to the Clinic for Communication Disorders and Sciences.
The renovation will also improve the building’s energy performance. The design will enhance the thermal performance of the building envelope. New zone-mounted heat pumps connected to geothermal wells will provide conditioning for the interior. Two energy recovery units will replace air handling units on the existing roof and the addition and renovation will be monitored by an electronic direct digital control system.
The college has established the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Silver rating as a benchmark for sustainable design. While the college will not formally pursue certification, the design incorporates measures to achieve the certification level.
The project broke ground on Oct. 13. The renovation and addition are scheduled for completion in early 2011.
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wlau[.]kssarchitects.com 
