The University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) is one of sixty-four colleges and universities that make up the largest public university system in the United States. The State University of New York system was written into law in 1948 by Governor Thomas E. Dewey and was dramatically expanded by Nelson A. Rockefeller during his four terms as Governor from 1959 to 1973. “As the youngest university system in the country, SUNY was making up for lost time. Compared to other state schools around the country, the development of good public institutions in New York had been impeded by the presence of excellent private colleges and universities. The 20th century was half over before state officials saw a need for state-supported schools other than the few agricultural, technical or teachers colleges. It also took the post-war boom and the acknowledgement that private colleges would never be able to absorb the anticipated enrollments of the 1960s and 70s” (Mesick, Cohen, Wilson and Baker 27). \"Rockefeller saw a grand panorama of prize-winning buildings spread across the state that would offer the best assortment of learning environments anywhere. Students could choose among them and, within their architecturally outstanding walls, grow under a cadre of superior educators wooed from the best universities" (Bleeker 168). To do so, Rockefeller created the State University Construction Fund (SUCF) in 1962 in order to meet the increased demand for higher education resulting from population growth. “While other Modern architects were given the task of creating individual buildings for various SUNY campuses, such as I. M. Pei’s lecture hall in Fredonia and Ulrich Franzen’s Agronomy Building at Cornell University, Stone was asked to create a master plan for an entirely new campus created from the ground up. The result was one of the largest modern campuses in the United States, unique in that it was planned and built all at once” (Mesick, Cohen, Wilson and Baker 13).

Several buildings have been added to the Uptown Campus since the completion of theoriginal design. There are five significant additional buildings that have been constructed, the SEFCU Arena, the Campus Center Extension, the Science Library, the Life Sciences Research Building, and University Hall. Whether adding to an existing structure, or creating a completely new one within a collection of buildings, there are many ways to deal with architectural additions. An addition can blend seamlessly with the original, re-express the architectural language using new materials or forms, or create something completely new and different. The additions of the University at Albany’s original campus provide examples of these different methods. However, it can be difficult to achieve success with any of these methods, especially on a campus as cohesive as the University at Albany.The SEFCU Arena, also known as the Recreation and Convocation Center (the “RACC”),was the first addition to Stone’s core campus. It was completed in 1992, designed byMesick, Cohen, Waite Architects, of Albany. The 115,000 square foot structure includesseating for 4800, basketball, racquetball, squash and handball courts, an indoor track,and training rooms. It is situated directly in front of Stone’s Physical Education Building, separated by an esplanade from the south side that faces Western Avenue. University Drive West had to be rerouted to accommodate the site, however, the arena is positioned to correspond with the axis created in the original design. The designers of the SEFCU Arena, being the first to create a new building for the campus, had the task of deciding how to deal with adding to such a cohesive collection. There are certain elements of the arena that recall Stone’s buildings, while others set it apart. The arena was designed to compliment Stone’s structures, using light colored pre-cast concrete and repeating the column spacing on the arcade facing the Healthand Physical Education Building. The main entrance is also on the same level so as not to disrupt the fl ow of pedestrian traffic or divert it away from the original. The arena’s exterior has a layered horizontal appearance and slightly smaller scale, meant to contrast and compliment the verticality of Stone’s buildings without detracting fromthem.The Campus Center Extension was completed in 1994, designed by Edward Durell Stoneand Associates (the firm would later become RGA Architects and Planners). The 30,000square foot extension was designed to house the bookstore, a barber shop, conveniencestore, food court, and video arcade. The addition essentially extended the Podium levelsouth toward Western Ave., with two large wings that are slightly wider than the campuscenter itself. The area between the wings was landscaped to create a new exteriorcourt area. The Campus Center Extension is an example of an addition to an existingbuilding that blends nearly seamlessly with the original. From the top of the Podium, it is almost impossible to distinguish where it originally ended because the newportions use the same materials and paving pattern. The vertical walls of the extension are clad with light tan pre-cast concrete panels, similar to the materialused for Stone’s original buildings, and are decorated with a horizontal geometric pattern. In addition to the materials, the placement also fits well with the originaldesign scheme of the complex, continuing the axis that Stone created without disrupting the symmetry. The creation of the exterior court fits with the landscapingscheme of the Core Campus, with its many courtyards and planted areas. The sensitive treatment of both the exterior materials and the building arrangement creates an original addition that does not disrupt or overshadow Stone’s buildings.The Science Library was completed in 1999, designed by Ray Gomez of RGA Architectsand Planners. While the firm’s predecessor, Edward Durell Stone and Associates, wasworking on the Campus Center Extension, preliminary plans were made for the new library. This is evident in the similar pattern and material used on the exterior treatments of both buildings. The Science Library connects to the Campus Center Extension on the south side, enclosing the courtyard that was created between the two wings. It has a classical feel with a heavy basement level, pilasters extending up through the middle floors, and smaller attic story windows on the top floor. There arecertain elements of the design that are reminiscent of Stone’s original buildings.The front façade is screened in glass with large columns that repeat the bay spacing of the original buildings. Although the precast concrete exterior is stylistically very different and has a heavier look, the repeated use of the material ties it to Stone’s buildings. Its position continues the north-south axis further and extends the Podium, having connecting bays that provide entry on the upper and lower levels. The access points are very important because they provide a smooth transition between the old and new, both visually and physically. The raised podium as a pathway between the academic buildings was quite important to Stone and the Science Library continues that concept.The Life Sciences Research Building was completed in 2004, designed by the HillierArchitecture Group. The 170,000 square foot building houses research laboratories,a vivarium, offices, conference rooms, and an auditorium for the science departments. The structure is steel framed on a cast-in-place concrete foundation, with specialprovisions made to reduce floor vibrations in the laboratories. The various sectionsare clad in a variety of materials including tan pre-cast concrete, aluminum panels andtinted glass. It extends out from the east end of the Academic Podium, with ground level corridors that connect directly to the lower level creating a courtyard space. The two-story structure is built at grade rather than at the height of the Podium, sitting below the level of the original academic buildings. The Life Sciences Building, while it attempts to blend with Stone’s design for the Core Campus, is perhaps the most problematic of all the new buildings. Its position at the end of the Podium attempts to maintain the axis, but instead throws off the symmetry Stone created. Rather than continuing the existing circulation atop the Podium, the mainentrance to the Life Science Building is on the east side, facing away from it, while access from the west is limited to the ground level corridors. This not only draws people away from the east end of the podium, but creates an abrupt end to it because there is no access to the Life Science Building from the upper level. Construction at the east end of the Podium could have been an opportunity to implement Stone’s vision for expansion that was part of his 1968 Comprehensive Site Plan for updating the University. However, a different path was chosen and the resulting structure prevents Stone’s plan from ever reaching its full potential. The Life Sciences Building pays homage to Stone’s designs in form rather than material. Although buff pre-cast concrete is used on the exterior of the connecting corridors, the majority of the building is clad in silver aluminum panels and greenish glass. There are tall slender pillars that reach up to the aluminum overhangs, meant to reproduce the effect created by Stone’s concrete arches and eaves. However, they are spaced farther apart and do not have the same flared effect at the tops. foot glass-clad structure is the home to the university’s main administrative offices as well as an Admissions assembly room. It is situated just north of the academic podium, directly to the east of the main entrance to the campus. The two-story square structure has an undulating façade clad a painted aluminum and reflective glass curtain wall. University Hall is one of the mostprominent additions to the University at Albany Campus, primarily because of its location at the entrance, and is the only new building that can be seen when standing within the Academic Podium. This location, however, does not detract from the view of the original campus when approaching because of the screen of trees that conceal itwhen viewed from a distance. It sits adjacent to the Podium, but the building footprint is rotated roughly 20° in a clockwise direction so that it does not align precisely with the other buildings. While the slightly askew position does not correspond with Stone’s axial layout for the campus, the rotated footprint createsjuxtaposition, making an original statement and welcoming visitors. Although the glass-clad two-story structure does not seem to fi t with the original concrete buildings, the stark contrast it creates makes it work well as an addition. The wavy, reflective glass exterior is almost the complete opposite of the linear concrete surfaces Stone created. Stone’s dormitory towers and carillon command the skyline, while the low glass building sits quietly beside them. This unique structure makes a completely new statement architecturally, creating a contrast that sets off the architecture of the original campus (Mesick, Cohen, Wilson and Baker 17-21).

The University at Albany is an internationally recognized public research institution located in the state capital of New York. Established in 1844 and designated a university in 1962, the University at Albany offers two-year, four-year and graduate programs.

The buildings comprising SUNY Albany’s original Uptown Campus were constructed in atwo phased project beginning in 1963 and ending in 1971. The uniformity in design andmaterials has resulted in a complex of buildings that share many common characteristics, especially those situated on the Academic Podium. In addition, because all the buildings were constructed at the same time, they are all beginning to deteriorate contemporaneously (87).The facades are generally in good condition due to the high quality of initial construction and the wide protecting roof overhanging. Both the poured in place and precast concrete are in very good condition. After forty years, there is an accumulation of dirt and staining. Some of the buildings, including Fine Arts, the University Library, the Performing Arts Center, Campus Center, Social Science, andBiology, have more significant soiling problems caused by birds nesting. A product called Hot Foot was used in the 1980s to deter birds from roosting, however, the product itself is dark and has dripped down and contributed to the staining. Someof the soiling has been removed with high pressure washers, steam, and mild soap (88). There are minor hairline cracks in the ribs of the precast concrete panels, which do not appear to be a serious issue. A few of these are larger and have darkened with dirt and moisture. These areas may require patching. There is also some hairlinecracking in the poured in place columns, but with few exceptions these do not seem to be a problem. The joints at the intersections of horizontal and vertical ribs above the doors and windows have small vertical or horizontal hairline cracks, which may be from contraction rather than a structural problem, or perhaps from insufficient rebar (88). Of greater concern is the apparent movement of some of the upper panels on the short end walls, which has cracked several ribs. These panels are anchored to the concrete frame using steel angles and this movement may indicate fatigue in the steel or perhaps the pulling out of an embedded anchor. The quality of the concrete work at the University is exceptional, and given its use and exposure to severe weather, it has performed as well as, or better than most natural stone used under similar conditions and detailing. However, the current condition of the Podium roof, and lack of controlled runoff at the Podium level and at grade, and a severe lack of maintenance threaten to greatly accelerate the process of deterioration (99).

The Podium is the functional and literal underpinning of the entire campus. Although the individual buildings house different departments and functions, they are all part of this large structure. It encompasses all exterior walls at the basement level, as well as all the service functions at that level, including the ‘U’ shaped service drive which connects all the buildings to the loading dock on the west side under the Social Science Building. The service tunnel is large enough for a small utility vehicle to drive in, and all the piping for hot and chilled water is run within it, making repair and alteration to the system easy. The Podium was constructed in two phases, Phase I from 1963-1967 and Phase II from 1967-1971 (99).The covered walkways and courtyards are integral to the buildings on the Podium. These elements are truly extensions of the buildings themselves and their structural grid. The integration of the raised planters, fountains, and sunken courtyards into the overall campus is seamless (95).The interiors of the Podium buildings vary spatially, from grand soaring two and three story spaces in the public buildings, to simple linear corridors in the classroom buildings. Individual buildings differ widely in plan and finishes, varying from perforated anodized aluminum ceiling, to terrazzo flooring (96).The public buildings, Library, Campus Center, and Performing Arts Center, are arranged around grand, multistory public lobbies. The classroom buildings are all organized around off-center double loaded corridors with vertical circulation at both ends. Great effort was made to provide all occupied rooms with natural light and interior offices on the upper floors are often provided with natural light from skylights in the roof monitors. Circulation is carefully studied and the stairways in all buildings, either ceremonial stairs or general exiting and circulation stairs, all have similar detailing with precast treads and steel bar stock balustrades on a concrete structure (96-97).

Edward Durell Stone’s campus for the University at Albany is located in the western region of the city, between Washington and Western Avenues, formerly the location of the Albany Country Club. The site has grown considerably since the 1970s and now comprises a larger area referred to as the Uptown Campus.The Core Campus is concentrated around the central Academic Podium, with the exception of the Health and Physical Education Building, located within playing fields separate on the south side of the campus, the Health and Counseling Center, located west of the Podium just past the perimeter road, and the three service buildings, located just beyond University Drive West on the southwest side of the campus. The Academic Podium consists of thirteen buildings under one connecting system of covered open access ways. The residential quads are symmetrically located at the four corners of theAcademic Podium, with Colonial Quad to the northwest, State Quad to the northeast,Indian Quad to the southeast, and Dutch Quad to the southwest. Each of these quadscontains eight low-rise residential buildings surrounding a high-rise residential tower. The Academic Podium is the heart of the campus, containing all of the academic and student activities buildings, as well as the Lecture Center. The classroom buildings are located on its periphery, with the Library, Performing Arts Center and Campus Center located in the middle around the fountain and carillon tower. The Lecture Center is located within the Podium, at the center below the fountain. The fountain is the centerpiece of Stone’s campus, with the tower acting as a beacon providing a reference point with which one can orient themselves from anywhere on the campus.The Outer Core Campus is primarily defined by the perimeter road known as University Drive. The road was part of Stone’s original design for the campus and is generally unchanged except for the area rerouted to accommodate the addition of the Recreation and Convocation Center (R.A.C.C.), now known as the SEFCU Arena. The power plant, commissary, and facilities management buildings, as well as the Health and Counseling Center (Infirmary) are just outside the perimeter road, but were included in the original campus design and therefore are considered to be part of the Core Campus.The remaining area of the Uptown Campus (Zone 3) extends from the perimeter road to the University property lines, and is made of up nearly one hundred buildings. Inaddition to the area that was part of Stone’s master plan, the campus has expanded andnow includes several areas adjacent to the original site, including University Plaza to the southeast, Empire Commons to the northeast, as well as Freedom Quadrangle and the Center for Emerging Sciences and Technology Management to the west across FullerRoad (Mesick, Cohen, Wilson and Baker 15).

Stone’s primary material for the SUNY Albanycampus was concrete, both pre-cast and cast inplace. All of the buildings have similar pre-castexteriors with tilt-up wall panels with smooth whiteconcrete ribs, panels of exposed aggregate, andslender rectangular steel sash casement windows.The pattern and arrangement of windows andaggregate panels varies on the exteriors dependingon the function of the interior of the building (Image1). Typical stairway bays have completely glazedwalls, while the rest of the classroom façades havealternating horizontal bands of exposed aggregatepanels and windows. Fully glazed bays are alsoused at the entrances of Library and PerformingArts Center. The precast panels are typicallydivided into three vertical panels per structural bay.The panels on the short, end walls of the classroombuilding are, however, divided horizontally into twopanels per structural bay.In addition to the distinctive exterior walls, all ofStone’s original buildings have overhanging roofswith perforated edges (Image 2). The buildings onthe Academic Podium have deeply overhangingroofs, supported by fl ared capitals of the slendercast-in-place columns. On the Podium, the exterioroverhang is extended far beyond the building footprints, covering most of the area with a protectivecanopy and creating colonnades (Images 3 and 4).The Podium canopy is punctuated with openings atprominent locations. The openings in front of theCampus Center, University Library, and PerformingArts Center are all covered by Plexiglas domes.