The Conklin Hall student center at Farmingdale State College (SUNY) has reopened following a $12 million renovation.
The 19,701 s/f two-story structure was originally a power plant built in 1914. While the building received a small addition in the late 1950s, the structure had undergone only minimal changes over the years.
Stalco Construction and BRB Architects led a team that included civil engineer Cameron Engineering & Associates, LLP; structural engineer Hage Engineering; M/E/P engineer Lakhani & Jordan Engineers; and landscape architects Todd Rader and Amy Crews.
Joseph M. Serpe, Stalco’s vice president, said the project consisted of a total gut renovation and the partial structural redevelopment of the brick, masonry, concrete, and steel building.
Complete mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were replaceed, ADA-compliant modernizations made, and energy efficiency upgrades carried out.
Conklin Hall renovation was Stalco’s third project at Farmingdale State College, following the $19 million School of Business and the $1 million Dental Hygiene Center.
Although the structure is not registered as a historical landmark, it has historic significance. Farmingdale wanted to maintain the look and feel of the exterior, hearkening back to its original use as a power plant.
The renovation work was divided into two phases. The first included the replacement of the roof and the installation of the clerestory windows, which replaced the old clerestory ventilation openings.
The second phase, performed by Stalco, encompassed the renovation of the interior and exterior, the structural redevelopment inside the building, and all site work.
Work took place within an occupied campus, so the team implemented extensive safety measures.
