The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) is an independent, private not-for-profit university with campuses on Long Island and Manhattan. Currently, NYIT does not have student residences on its Old Westbury Campus. To serve future students desiring a total campus experience, NYIT is proposing the construction of four student residence halls and a campus commons, as well as several other buildings.
VHB is providing integrated civil engineering, landscape, environmental permitting, planning, and transportation services to design the project and gain approval for the overall development. Design objectives include the desire to establish a visually rich, engaging campus center; address potable water demand; find a solution to persistent drainage and flooding problems; and ensure environmental sustainability. Also, in support of NYIT's dedication to establishing a "campus as an arboretum," the project design reinforces a pedestrian dominated campus core with two new primary pedestrian axes connecting housing and student life to existing academic and athletic/recreation centers, and parking at the campus edges. In concert with the pedestrian framework, a series of interconnected terraces, entries, and varied open spaces are established to enrich campus life in and enhance the natural beauty of the existing mature woods setting.
The design incorporates energy-efficient and sustainable features to assist in minimizing the carbon footprint of the new facilities within the overall campus. NYIT has chosen to use geothermal energy for heating, cooling, and irrigation services, which will help reduce off-site water demand. The new stormwater collection system, designed by VHB, utilizes subsurface storage and infiltration to direct water away from areas prone to flooding and minimize disturbance to natural areas. Tags: