Tradeline Conference: Space Strategies

This fall PAYETTE’s J. Ian Adamson and Jeffrey DeGregorio will present at the Tradeline: Space Strategies Conference in San Diego. Speaking on the topic of space reuse initiatives to maximize space value for science programs, the team will use how Cornell University is making decisions about critical infrastructure upgrades, space reprogramming, and space utilization initiatives to achieve lower operating costs, greater researcher collaboration, and increased intellectual density.

Session Title: Research: Maximizing “space value” with rationalized renovations and reprogramming
Presentation: Monday, October 1, 1:15pm – 2:10pm | Tuesday, October 2, 1:45pm – 2:40pm

This session answers the question: “How do you choose between competing space reuse initiatives to maximize space value for science programs?” The College of Engineering at Cornell University is one of the founding Colleges of the University and remains one of the largest. Today it is comprised of 10 departments housed in over 1.7 million GSF and is a leader in advanced materials, information sciences, nanosciences, bioengineering, complex systems and energy and the environment.

Over time departmental expansions become necessary as programming grows and changes. Researcher-centric model of renovation encourages a territorial approach to space planning. As an investigator’s quantity of research rises and falls, no reciprocal effect on their respective footprint occurs. As a result, the utilization of space within the environment varies widely with no consistent means of understanding the totality of the problem, creating an inability to address the issue. Over time departmental identity became fragmented and ideal adjacencies were lost, not only at a departmental level, but also between researchers.

In 2007 a strategic master plan was completed for Cornell University which would have significantly increased the size of the College of Engineering. Due to the economic conditions starting in 2008 this type of growth appeared unlikely in the near term. As a result, a space utilization and renovation plan was commissioned to address the programmatic and space needs of the College for the next ten years. The charge of the study was to achieve this growth through strategic renovations and increases in space utilization. In addition to departmental requirements, increased needs for student project space and informal interaction and study was also a key driver for the study.

Restricting options to renovation and utilization proposals provided a rich environment for rethinking the notion of a facility master plan geared towards reprogramming existing space rather than simply adding square footage. This focus provided opportunities to enhance departmental connections, address critical existing infrastructure improvements and increase space and intellectual density across the entire campus.

Utilizing the Cornell case study in conjunction with similar studies at Polytechnic University of New York University and Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the presentation will give attendees a real-world approach for analyzing existing science spaces and developing strategies for leveraging this information for greater space utilization. Additionally, this presentation will explore this presentation will demonstrate how starting with a room by room analysis can lead to a comprehensive utilization study and strategic plan to accommodate the next decade of education and beyond.

For more information:
Tradeline Conferences