Angarano and Evans Discuss Transforming Mid-Century Campus Buildings 2.0 at SUNY PPAA Winter Conference

Susanne Angarano, Principal / Senior Interior Designer, and Jason Evans, Associate Principal, presented “Transforming Mid-Century Campus Buildings 2.0: Measuring Design Against the Outcomes” at the 2020 SUNY PPAA Winter Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York on January 28, 2020. They co-presented with Jaimee Wilson of Pathfinder Engineers.

Mid-Century buildings are commonplace on campuses across the state, yet many are energy hogs, far from code-compliant, and are hardly conducive to 21st century learning.  As these buildings continue to age, how should we approach treating these shortcomings?  Are they worth saving at all?

Susanne, Jason, and Jaimee provided a best practices approach, post-occupancy evaluation, and where do we go from here with new Deep Energy Retrofit directives while weaving in case studies from Binghamton University’s Science IV Phase 1 and 2 Deep Energy Retrofit / renovation and SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Silverman Hall renovation. 
 
Science IV, a textbook example of a mid-century building on Binghamton University’s campus, has become a test bed for this type of questioning and evaluation.  Undertaken in two phases, the initial strategies and outcomes of Phase 1 are evaluated, and opportunities to expand upon them are assessed as the project continues into Phase 2.  Using this building as a case study, the team walked through an analysis of its transformation, focusing especially on energy performance and user experience.
 
Taking a dive into the design strategies for Deep Energy Retrofit at Science IV and looking at the energy outcomes a year after completion. What was the return on investment?  What were the successes and opportunities missed?  How do these lessons impact approaches to future mid-century renovation projects?

The transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 also provided a unique opportunity for pre and post occupancy evaluation.  With a focus on environmental comfort and informal collaboration, we can begin to understand impacts that the transformation of mid-century buildings can have on students, faculty, and staff, and education.