Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Southern Connecticut State University: Academic Science and Laboratory Building

  • 04/01/17
Southern Connecticut State University

PHOTOS © NATHANIEL RILEY PHOTOGRAPHY

While the vast majority of prominent design features at Southern Connecticut State University’s (SCSU) Academic & Science Laboratory Building are incorporated into the structure itself, its adjacent geological rock garden plays a prominent role within the “science enclave.”

In keeping with a theme that permeates Centerbrook Architects & Planners’ design of the 104,000-square-foot building that opened for the 2015-16 academic year on SCSU’s New Haven campus, the geological rock garden is a teaching tool as well as an expression of art.

Thomas Fleming, professor of earth science at SCSU, oversaw the collection of the stones, which are comprised of 52 different boulders indigenous to Connecticut. Positioned along a spiraling pathway near the entrance of the building, the geological garden is a hands-on educational display that also serves as an outdoor classroom.

Typical classroom rock and mineral samples are inches in size while geological garden rocks are measured in feet. This better simulates what is found in an actual rock outcrop in the field, and provides students with more realistic observations regarding texture and orientation. At that scale, students can also measure features like foliation and bedding that are difficult to observe in a traditional classroom.

Numerous quarries across Connecticut donated the rocks, which also affords an opportunity to learn about their history and operations. For example, one of the sources — Stony Creek Quarry — has provided its distinctive pink stone for many iconic buildings and monuments, including the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and the foundations for the Brooklyn Bridge.

See a video of the project at vimeo.com/142171216.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • Minnesota Middle School Finishes $23.5M Addition and Modernization

    Highland Park Middle School in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $23.5-million addition and remodel project, according to a news release. Saint Paul Public Schools partnered with ATS&R Planners, Architects & Engineers for its design and Kraus-Anderson for its construction.

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.