ONONDAGA — Onondaga Community College (OCC) today announced that its newest building, Academic II, has won a national award for its “unique” design.
The structure is suspended 60-feet above the Furnace Brook gorge on campus.
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) awarded CannonDesign one of its IDEAS2 awards for excellence in steel-frame building design, OCC said in a news release.
IDEAS2 is short for Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel, according to the AISC website, which has a photo of Academic II displayed on the page honoring the award winners.
The award is the “highest honor bestowed on building projects each year by the U.S. structural-steel industry,” the school said.
Academic II was the winner in the category of projects costing between $15 million and $75 million, OCC said.
CannonDesign is headquartered in Grand Island, near Buffalo, according to its LinkedIn page.
The Academic II building’s structure created a “unique engineering opportunity,” beginning with an “innovative” location across the Furnace Brook gorge, Timothy Costello, associate vice president of structural engineering at CannonDesign, said in the OCC news release.
“The large truss design and steel detailing enhance the interiors and are an integral component of the spaces within. OCC’s leadership supported our forward-thinking design ideas with their collaborative and participatory partnership. AISC’s award recognition not only validates the structure, but it also honors the team’s efforts and creativity,” Costello said.
Academic II, which is home to the community college’s music department, opened last August.
The structure includes a 150-seat recital hall, practice rooms, and faculty offices. It also has eight “smart” classrooms, which are equipped with computer and audiovisual equipment and are available to the entire campus community, according to OCC.
The building provides students with an enclosed route across the gorge during inclement weather, and links student and community areas in the Gordon Student Center and Ferrante Hall.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com