Gov. George E. Pataki, Syracuse University unveil design for headquarters building for Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems

Gov. George E. Pataki, Syracuse University unveil design for headquarters building for Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy SystemsDecember 01, 2005Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

New York Gov. George E. Pataki joined academic and corporate partners of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems in unveiling the design for the Syracuse CoE’s new headquarters building and campus.

“The Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems will help us make Central New York a major international powerhouse in the development of clean and renewable energy sources,” Gov. Pataki says. “This state-of-the-art center will have a tremendous impact on the region’s economy and play an important role in our ongoing effort to reduce dependence on foreign oil, lower energy costs, improve our environment and create jobs.”

“This is an elegant design that achieves our ambitious aspirations,” says Syracuse University Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “The facility deftly captures and multiplies all available energies-not only the sun and wind, but also the social, intellectual and economic capital required to realize Gov. Pataki’s vision of prosperity for Upstate New York in the 21st century.”

The headquarters building, to be constructed on a three-acre campus at the corner of East Washington and Almond streets in downtown Syracuse, will include spaces for collaboration among Syracuse CoE partners in research, development, education and public outreach. The Syracuse firm Ashley McGraw Architects is leading a distinguished team-including design architect Toshiko Mori and more than a dozen accomplished firms-in designing the campus.

The building will include offices, laboratories and public spaces. Among the unique features of the building and the campus are:

• The Carrier Total Indoor Environmental Quality (TIEQ) Laboratory, a unique facility in which researchers will study how multiple factors-including temperature, humidity, air quality, lighting and sound-combine to affect human health and performance in built environments, including offices, schools and homes. The Carrier TIEQ laboratory is funded by the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), and a gift from the Carrier Corp.
• Laboratories for research and development of new fuels and products from biomass.
• An “Urban Ecosystem Observatory,” a 250-foot tower from which measurements of outdoor air quality will be taken at multiple elevations, for studies including the impact of buildings on urban ecosystems.
• A “green” roof, which will reduce stormwater runoff and reduce the heat reflected back into the environment.

“The proposed design of the Syracuse Center of Excellence headquarters facility responds to the center’s programmatic needs and the microclimate of the site in downtown Syracuse,” says Mori. “Counter to a traditionally introverted research lab building, the Syracuse CoE headquarters facility is open to the surrounding city. The building’s form and landscape are intended to serve as a green urban intervention that will become one of the anchors of the Connective Corridor between downtown Syracuse and Syracuse University.”

Says Edward A. Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse CoE, “Our new headquarters will serve several key functions for the Syracuse Center of Excellence. The facility includes laboratories for basic and applied research and also provides a test bed for evaluating new technologies in a real-world setting. Most of all, the headquarters will be a hotbed for collaborations among our industry and academic partners, fostering interactions that produce ideas for new products that create jobs in Central New York.”

“The investments we are making in environmental systems and renewable energy have already impacted the Central New York economy,” says Rep. James T. Walsh. “This new home will further link and expand federally funded research currently being done with new commercial opportunities in an urban facility that respects the environment and harnesses its full potential.”

Architects and CoE administrators intend for the building to achieve the highest “Platinum” rating in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Construction-related activities are slated to begin late this year with completion of the campus in 2007.

“The new headquarters for the Syracuse Center of Excellence has the potential to positively impact our community, our state and the way architecture influences our lives,” says Edward McGraw, of Ashley McGraw Architects. “The project has brought together an innovative client and a unique international design team to create an architecturally significant statement right here in Syracuse.”

Adds State Sen. John A. DeFrancisco, “I am proud to have played a role in obtaining funding that has helped to make this substantial project a reality. The unveiling of the design for our Center of Excellence headquarters is a very poignant reminder that this unique collaboration is on the brink of catapulting this community to the forefront as a leader in the environmental and energy systems industry. This is an example of what can be accomplished when members of our research, academic and business sectors work together to develop innovative ideas and technologies that have tremendous potential to enhance our region’s economic health and improve the quality of life for those who live here.”

State Sen. David Valesky adds, “Today we celebrate the unveiling of this energy-sound and environmentally smart design. Soon we will witness as the structure of the Center of Excellence takes shape, and as its purpose and vision are realized. I believe the CoE will serve as a catalyst in our community and make us the leader in the burgeoning industry of environmental and energy systems. In so doing, this Center of Excellence will bring new investment, good jobs and renewed hope to Central New York.”

“The unveiling of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is something that Central New York’s working families and businesses can be excited about,” says Assemblyman William Magnarelli. “This center will create jobs, foster new technologies and allow for innovative research and development opportunities through university and industry cooperation. In addition, the center will help revitalize downtown Syracuse.”

“The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems will not only provide unique and innovative opportunities to researchers at the University, but will also provide regional businesses and individuals with new jobs and economic development opportunities,” says Assemblywoman Joan Christensen. “The center also represents an important collaboration between the University and the city, and I am certain that it will have a very positive impact on the region’s economic future.”

Onondaga County Executive Nicholas Pirro says the Syracuse Center of Excellence is an investment in the future of this community and the entire region. “The Syracuse CoE will make Onondaga County a leader in world-class collaboration on the technologies that will improve our lives, create new jobs and accelerate our economy forward,” he says.

“I would like to thank Gov. Pataki and congratulate Syracuse University for completing another important step for the Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems project,” says Syracuse Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll. “The commitment of Syracuse University and Chancellor Cantor to the community, as demonstrated by this project, the Warehouse and Connective Corridor, is an important part of our city’s development efforts, and our efforts to focus on high technology. We anticipate that the Center of Excellence project will generate additional investment in surrounding areas, and look forward to the groundbreaking.”

The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is a federation of more than 70 businesses, organizations and academic and research institutions. Gov. Pataki established the Syracuse CoE in June 2002 to create jobsand wealth across the state through collaborations in research, development and education. Within the Syracuse CoE, the New York Indoor Environmental Quality (NYIEQ) Center Inc. leads commercialization and corporate programs.The primary research conducted by the Syracuse CoE takes place at 12 university and research partner institutions led by Syracuse University. Research activities are coordinated primarily through the Environmental Quality Systems (EQS) Strategically Targeted Academic Research (STAR) Center, which was established in May 2001 by the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research.