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

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • California K–12 District Finishes Renovations on Multi-Sport Stadium

    The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) in Alameda, Calif., recently announced the completion of a renovation project on the Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School stadium, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Bothman Construction on the facility, and funding came from Bond Measure B.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.