Posted Jan 14, 2012, 9:34 PM
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New Yorker for life
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Borough of Jersey
Posts: 51,900
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http://newyork.ibtimes.com/articles/...elt-island.htm
Building New York: SOM Reshapes Roosevelt Island
By Roland Li
January 14, 2012
Quote:
Last July, Mayor Bloomberg announced a request for proposals to develop a science and engineering campus at Roosevelt Island, Governors Island or the Brooklyn Navy Yard, kicking off a furious competition between some of the country's top schools. Cornell University, along with partner Technion -- Israel Institute of Technology, would emerge triumphant in December, thanks in part to a $350 million gift.
But equally crucial was an intense three-month design process, led by Roger Duffy, a partner of Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) and founder of its Education Lab. SOM connected with Cornell through a mutual contact, who was also involved with SOM's work at the New School's new academic building at 65 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. After considering the financials and choosing Roosevelt Island as a target, Cornell moved foward and hired SOM, and the architects and school officials began assembling a plan. But first, they had to identify the goals of the project.
A central idea was that of "hubs" -- instead of having a complex of closed-off silos, SOM's plan incorporates walkways between buildings that make lateral paths. The buildings are grouped around associated disciplines, such as a "health hub," which will include biomedical and engineering fields, and a "mobile social hub," which will including mobile technology and social marketing studies. The hubs are expected to expand or be replaced as the complex develops, so flexibility in the structures is key.
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Quote:
When envisioning the site, SOM benefitted from the experience of designing one the first zero net energy buildings in the Northeast: P.S. 62, a 70,000 square foot school in Staten Island that was approved by the City Council in December. Along with the New School building, P.S. 62 seeks to maximize natural light, and a similar approach occured at Roosevelt Island.
While Roosevelt Island is sparsely developed by New York standards, the design for the new campus seeks to engage three communities, said Duffy, creating gathering points for the students, relating to the Roosevelt Island neighborhood and relating to the city as a whole. Adjacent to the exterior walkways will be courtyards and retail, designed in partnership with landscape architect James Corner Field Operations. Public space will form pedestrian access, with a focus on the western side, and Duffy hopes the complex will complement the Franklin D. Roosevelt to the south and the denser buildings to the north, although some residents have expressed concern over the planned demolition of the Goldwater Hospital, which sits on the site.
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http://i.imgur.com/TebUz.jpg
A rendering of P.S. 62, planned to be one of the first zero net energy buildings in the Northeast. (SOM)
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