Boosting Business

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is amid its largest construction boom in more than 50 years, with an estimated $200 million slated for new projects. A steel building addition that opened in late 2024 is among the most notable components.

An expansion of the Saunders College of Business’ Lowenthal Hall will provide students with state-of-the-art facilities that combine business with technology. Designing and building it meant integrating a design-rich, modern setting into the modernist and brutalist principles that influenced the Henrietta, N.Y., campus’ original mid-20th century construction.

The existing Lowenthal Hall, designed by Rochester architect Robert Macon and built in 1977, is no exception to the original architecture. Stark brick reveals pattern the exterior walls in an undulating façade, creating sharp shadow lines. Visitors to the building atrium find an abundance of exposed cast-in-place concrete structure accented with brick and wood elements. Skylights within exposed waffle slabs and punched window openings looking onto adjacent exterior brick walls provide indirect light.

The design team for the Lowenthal Hall addition sought to honor the modernist detailing and material palette while re-interpreting the new four-story building structure with a lighter steel frame and dramatic building projections. While referencing the rhythm of deep brick recesses along the original façade, the new building addition incorporates significantly more glass, creating a healthy environment conducive to learning. Ceramic fritting integrated within the glazing, custom building-mounted louvers, and strategic shading inherent to the building massing prevent excessive solar heat gain. Breaking from the orthogonal modernist nod, a sweeping butterfly roof projects beyond the building face to capture light and frame views above exterior balconies and cover outdoor spaces below.

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Publisher

Modern Steel Construction