This new 2-story building serves the Mechanical Engineering Department with laboratories and teaching spaces as well as Start-Up NY, a state sponsored industry-academic partnership program. In addition to educational and incubator space, the program houses the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center, dedicated to developing industrial 3D printing processes. The academic space includes an energy systems lab, computer lab, hardware lab, materials, systems dynamics & thermal fluids lab, a machine shop and a seniors project area.
Urbahn’s design creates an “Engineering Plaza” between the existing Resnick Hall and the new building. The design was driven by functional, economic and aesthetic considerations. Roof terraces are accessed off the second floor and an overhang covers the main entrance, recessed to avoid the otherwise costly relocation of site utilities. The exterior palette combines traditional materials, such as brick and slate, with modern materials such as zinc and metal shading devices.