SUNY Old Westbury begins $200M renovation of Natural Sciences building

SUNY officials broke ground Wednesday on a $200 million renovation and expansion of the Natural Sciences building at the state university system’s Old Westbury campus.

"This building will hum with activity," SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy Sams told a crowd that included students, professors and John B. King, chancellor of the SUNY system. "It has taken us 40 long years to get here. The students and faculty of Old Westbury deserve this project."

The work — the first major update to the Natural Sciences building since it was built in 1985, and one of the biggest construction projects in the history of the institution — is slated to be completed in three phases over seven years, creating up to 80,000 square feet of new labs, a campus greenhouse, faculty offices and collaborative spaces. In 1985, Old Westbury had fewer than 250 students in three science majors and a total enrollment of just 3,600. It now has about 650 students taking six science majors and a total enrollment of 4,700.

Phase 1 will include installation of geothermal wells providing energy-efficient heating and cooling, replacement of outdated labs and creation of temporary study and teaching areas for use during the renovations. Phase 2 will be construction of a new addition to the building. Phase 3 will be renovation of the building’s interior spaces and facade. The finished building will use a variety of energy-efficient strategies including an insulating green roof covered in soil and plants, along with sunshades and glazed windows.

Together, those elements are expected to make the building 50% more energy efficient, a step toward the SUNY system's goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and zero waste. "Right now we are using fossil fuel, we are using diesel in our emergency generators — all that will stop," said Ray Maggiore, the university's assistant vice president for capital planning, in an interview. "We will be fully electric. Instead of using gas to send heat to our air handlers, we'll be getting that from the earth." 

Sams, in an interview, said the building expansion was key to the university's future.

"My vision was to launch a STEM building because you need a world-class platform from which to teach," he said. "I don’t know how the liberal arts can survive without a powerful STEM education," he added, using the acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. "Look at where [funding] goes — it’s going to STEM advancement, fields like renewable energy. Somebody’s got to do that work, somebody’s got to be in the forefront, advancing those areas, and we want to be there."

King said that work was particularly important for Long Island. "Think about the role that biotech, for example, plays on Long Island, or advanced manufacturing, or the role of the health science fields — we want to make sure we're preparing young people for jobs in those sectors.   

 University officials have long viewed the massive Natural Sciences building as a challenge to be solved, though finances and COVID-19 got in the way. The school’s 2011 master plan says its central atrium "lacks soft seating and an inviting atmosphere, and is largely underutilized" and problems with backup power sometimes interfered with experiments.

It warned that as Old Westbury sought to grow its graduate offerings in the sciences and improve retention of undergraduate students, "existing science facilities may be a barrier." 

In a statement Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the project would "foster innovation in both science and sustainability, while providing new opportunities for green workforce development and resilience in the face of climate change."