The State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz has completed its new Engineering Innovation Hub building.
The two-story, 19,500-square-foot facility houses the bachelor’s degree program in mechanical engineering and includes innovative teaching and research lab spaces, as well as the school’s Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center (HVAMC).
The building is designed to meet standards for LEED Silver certification.
“Today’s opening of the Engineering Innovation Hub at SUNY New Paltz is another great example of the growth of our high-tech sector in the Mid-Hudson Valley that will result in jobs and economic expansions throughout the region,” says New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. “We will continue to partner with higher education institutions and industry leaders to bring these types of visions into reality to inspire New York’s newest generation of innovators.”
The new building was made possible after SUNY New Paltz was awarded $10 million through the NYSUNY2020 Challenge Grant competition. The grant supports academic programs that translate directly into economic development in New York State. The school also received $1 million through the Governor’s Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council’s annual Consolidated Funding Application.
The $13.5 million Engineering Innovation Hub houses faculty research and teaching labs, and state-of-the-art 3D print prototyping labs that support the engineering program and the work of companies partnering with SUNY New Paltz and HVAMC.
“The new Engineering Innovation Hub will support and diversify the college’s rapidly growing engineering programs, and foster collaboration between the college and local industry," says sid SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian.
The HVAMC, which has been providing education, guidance, CAD design, advice on materials used for additive manufacturing, and 3D printing services to SUNY New Paltz students and educators since 2013, will operate a laboratory and offices in the new building. The HVAMC’s collection of 3D printers constitutes some of the most advanced technology at any academic laboratory in the United States.
The Innovation Hub also will house the college’s mechanical engineering program, which has seen rapid enrollment growth since launching in 2014.
The building, situated on SUNY New Paltz’s main campus, was erected on a former parking lot near the existing engineering building, The Engineering Innovation Hub has been designed to allow for a potential expansion to the east, if the program’s growth requires more space in the future.
The main lobby is wrapped in a glass storefront that lets substantial natural light into the area, and a cubic form perched over the entrance plaza creates a distinctive profile for the building and opens to views overlooking Old Main Quad.
The architect is Urbahn Architects, and the builder is PC Construction.
