Arup Structurally Engineers New Building Addition at SUNY Upstate Medical University Institute for Human Performance

NEW YORK, March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, announced today that it has recently completed structural engineering services at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University Institute for Human Performance in Syracuse, New York. Arup worked with architect Goody Clancy on the new $72 million, 158,000 SF building addition that focuses on neuroscience and related diseases of the brain. 

Goody Clancy and Arup faced the challenge of how to connect the new addition, referred to as the Upstate Neuroscience Research Building, with the older building so the entire project could function as one.  The multi-disciplined design team achieved this goal by creating a two-story, 300-foot-long light-filled atrium. The atrium acts as the building's spine, stretching the entire length of the new building, linking the original building to the new addition and housing labs, conference rooms, and lounges. These flexibly designed spaces are clustered together to promote researcher collaboration and interaction. Unique chameleon-like iridescent metal panels on the exterior of the new building contrast with the original building's brick to give the addition a unique identity while livening up the neighborhood with its dynamic coloration.

"We have worked with Arup in the past and it was exciting to team with them again for this very important medical research building project," said Arjun Mande, AIA, LEED AP, project architect and senior associate at Goody Clancy.  "The building design is open and communal in order to bring together groups of investigators with vast expertise and resources needed to solve complex medical problems.  Arup enabled the project to move forward successfully by integrating our vision for the building with structural integrity so the complex works as a unified whole."

A ribbon cutting celebration and presentation were held last Fall and the building is presently being prepared for occupancy.  The major tenants of the newly expanded building will be investigators whose research is focused on diseases of the central nervous system.  

"Today, science is a team effort, and bringing our community of scientists together into a more shared, open working environment will foster greater collaboration," said Rosemary Rochford, PhD, vice president for research at SUNY Upstate Medical University. "In turn, this will lead to more discoveries that will improve the quality of people's lives. Our new building encourages this essential exchange of ideas."

The building was designed for LEED Silver certification, which is awarded to structures that reduce waste, conserve energy and water, and are healthier and safer for occupants. The structural design of the building originated in Arup's Boston office, and construction and engineering occurred in New York.

About Arup
Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world's most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Its engineers and consultants deliver innovative projects across the world. Arup opened its first US office 25 years ago, and now employs 1,000 in the Americas. The firm was founded in 1946 with an enduring set of values that fosters a distinctive culture, intellectual independence and collaborative approach. The people at Arup are driven to find a better way to deliver better solutions for their clients. (www.arup.com)

About Goody Clancy
Goody Clancy is a firm of architects, preservationists, planners, and urban designers serving educational, governmental, and private sector clients and communities nationwide. We inspire transformation by creating places and plans that ignite creativity and collaboration and build social, economic, and environmental value.

We combine creative passion and a spirit of exploration with deep expertise and a rich appreciation of context. Our focus on each client's defining purpose enables us to create spaces and communities that are deeply connected to who they are—and who they aspire to be. This approach leads to work that is visually distinctive and socially innovative—and client relationships that have extended over decades. (www.goodyclancy.com)

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SOURCE Arup