LOCATION
Riverhead, New York
CLIENT
Suffolk County Community College
TYPE
Education | Wellness Center | New Construction
SUSTAINABILITY
LEED Silver Certified
AWARDS
2020
The Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award
Society of American Registered Architects National Design Excellence Award
Society of American Registered Architects-New York Merit Award
2019
AIA New Jersey Honor Award
Inspired by the Long Island Pines where the campus is set.
The Center for Health and Wellness at Suffolk County Community College is an academic and recreation facility that contains teaching spaces for the Department of Nursing and Physical Education, as well as recreation spaces for students, faculty, and the Eastern Long Island community. Inspired by the Long Island Pine Barrens where this campus is set, the Center’s design evokes the neighboring stand of pine trees along the edge of campus.
Comprised of custom-fabricated precast concrete panels and glass, the building’s façade recalls the texture of pine bark to highlight the importance of the natural environment in establishing the unique architectural character of the College. Inside, the Center is organized around a sun-drenched double-height lobby and soaring rock-climbing wall that leads to a fitness room and locker rooms and is flanked by a gymnasium and a natatorium for recreation and NCAA competitions.
