On September 25th, CSArch proudly accepted a Stewardship Award during the Preservation Merit Awards Ceremony for the design of University at Albany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science and Engineering (CNSE). Organized by the Historic Albany Foundation, the long-running, annual awards program celebrates preservation excellence by recognizing individuals and organizations for their commitment to Albany’s historic architecture.

This year, CSArch was among 17 recipients across nine preservation categories. The review committee noted the restoration of the guastavino tile as an important design feature that was retained from the original construction, as well as the careful adaptive reuse of a previously vacant building that didn't compromise the integrity of its historic character.

“On behalf of the design team, I am honored to accept this award,” said William Pennock, Managing Principal at CSArch. “This building, which sits at a prominent location in the City of Albany, remained abandoned and unoccupied for many years before the University purchased the property in 2013. We’re proud to be part of the project to restore an educational landmark and reimagine the building into what it is today for the College of Nanotechnology, Science and Engineering.”

Click here to learn more about the award recipients.

Originally constructed in 1912, the 129,000 square foot, Neoclassical building served as Albany High School until 1974. After the high school moved to its current location on Washington Avenue, the building housed Philip Schuyler Elementary School before the University at Albany purchased the property in 2013. During that 100-year period, the building retained most of its original character and charm, including the historic corridors, exterior envelope, entry foyers, stairwells, skylights, and a 1200-seat auditorium.

In 2016, UAlbany announced plans to embark on a multi-phased, comprehensive renovation and adaptive reuse of the former Albany High School. Once complete, the building would house the University’s now College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) to provide state-of-the-art educational, lab, and research facilities for engineering and computer science programs. The recently completed phase of the project restored the south wing, which encompasses approximately half of the building’s 129,000 square feet. Construction will now shift to a comparable renovation of the north wing and restoration of the historic auditorium in the sixth and final phase of the project, which is expected to be complete in 2027.

Visit the UAlbany CNSE project page for more information.

The project team includes:
CSArch Design Team: William Pennock, Project Manager; Mark Landon, Project Manager; Douglas Dickinson, Senior Project Architect; Killian Miles, Project Architect; Ashley Sheehan, Senior Interior Designer; Zachary Malison, Senior Mechanical Engineer; Michael Strohecker, Mechanical Engineer; David Bratt, Plumbing Designer; Nicholas Rohan, Electrical Designer
Construction Manager: Gilbane
General Contractor: Consigli
Consultants: Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation, Historic Preservation; MJ Engineering, Civil and Structural Engineering; Foit-Albert Associates, Fire Protection; Watts Architecture & Engineering, Hazardous Materials; d2d Green Architecture, Sustainability; Design Network Interior Planning & Design, Interior Design