Construction recently began on Cornell University’s new 135,000-sf building for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (Cornell Bowers CIS). Designed by Boston-based Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the structure will bring together the departments of Computer Science, Information Science, and Statistics and Data Science for the first time in one complex.
The new four-story structure in Ithaca, N.Y., will define a highly identifiable Bowers CIS precinct of continuous building and open space, creating a magnet attracting students from multiple disciplines across the entire university, according to a news release from Leers Weinzapfel Associates. The building’s three research floors connected to Gates Hall will float above a lively and active ground floor framing an outdoor space for daily use, small gatherings, and large ceremonies.
The two wings of the building will contain academic research offices and computational labs augmented by a suite of collaborative spaces on the three upper floors. At the ground level, a student “ramble” along the courtyard edge will provide a place for individual and small group study, while a café, commons, large interactive classroom, a series of large builder labs, and a maker space will provide areas for students to study and work on projects together.
A ribbon of faceted sculptural metal fins will wrap the three-story research floors, creating a distinct identity for the building while maintaining a sustainable limited window area.
“Our goal is to create a place for both the dynamic exchange of ideas and for quiet focused research,” said Andrea Leers, principal-in-charge, Leers Weinzapfel Associates. Since creating the Faculty of Computing and Information Science in 1999, Cornell has experienced continued student growth in the computing and information science fields.
Sustained dynamic growth and uniquely collaborative research fuels the college to develop state-of-the-art computing and information technologies, and to study and understand the societal and human impact of these technologies.
The project will incorporate sustainable development strategies to comply with the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement and NYStretch Energy Code.
On the team:
Owner and/or developer: Cornell University
Design architect: Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Architect of record: Leers Weinzapfel Associates
MEP engineer: BVH Integrated Services, A Salas O’Brien Company
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
General contractor/construction manager: LeChase
Related Stories
University Buildings | Oct 16, 2015
Competency-based learning: A glimpse into the future of higher education?
For better or worse, the higher education experience for many young Millennials and Gen Zers will not resemble the four-year, life-altering experience that we enjoyed—it’s just too costly.
University Buildings | Sep 21, 2015
Vietnamese university to turn campus into ‘terraced forest’
Pockets of plantings will be dispersed throughout the staggered floors of the building, framing the expansive courtyard at its center.
University Buildings | Sep 21, 2015
6 lessons in campus planning
For campus planning, focus typically falls on repairing the bricks and mortar without consideration of program priorities. Gensler's Pamela Delphenich offers helpful tips and advice.
Mixed-Use | Aug 26, 2015
Innovation districts + tech clusters: How the ‘open innovation’ era is revitalizing urban cores
In the race for highly coveted tech companies and startups, cities, institutions, and developers are teaming to form innovation hot pockets.
University Buildings | Aug 13, 2015
Best of Education Design: 9 projects named AIA Education Facility Design Award winners
Georgia Tech's Clough Commons, Boston's Berklee Tower, and seven other facilities were honored for aiding learning and demonstrating excellent architectural design.
Giants 400 | Aug 7, 2015
UNIVERSITY SECTOR GIANTS: Collaboration, creativity, technology—hallmarks of today’s campus facilities
At a time when competition for the cream of the student/faculty crop is intensifying, colleges and universities must recognize that students and parents are coming to expect an education environment that foments collaboration, according to BD+C's 2015 Giants 300 report.
Contractors | Jul 29, 2015
Consensus Construction Forecast: Double-digit growth expected for commercial sector in 2015, 2016
Despite the adverse weather conditions that curtailed design and construction activity in the first quarter of the year, the overall construction market has performed extremely well to date, according to AIA's latest Consensus Construction Forecast.
University Buildings | Jul 28, 2015
OMA designs terraced sports center for UK's Brighton College
Designs for what will be the biggest construction project in the school’s 170-year history feature a rectangular building at the edge of the school’s playing field. A running track is planned for the building’s roof, while sports facilities will be kept underneath.
University Buildings | Jul 21, 2015
Maker spaces: Designing places to test, break, and rebuild
Gensler's Kenneth Fisher and Keller Roughton highlight recent maker space projects at MIT and the University of Nebraska that provide just the right mix of equipment, tools, spaces, and disciplines to spark innovation.
University Buildings | Jul 2, 2015
Design for new pavilion in Toronto includes a ‘peel-away’ façade
An architect's proposal for a renovation of the main office building at the Ontario College of Art and Design features a façade that fans out from the edges of the building, like it’s opening up to visitors.
