Stony Brook University selected Perkins Eastman to design a
39,000 sf world-class mathematics research and physical sciences facility
located on their main campus. With a strong vision to propel mathematics and
physics at Stony Brook into the international arena, the overall building and
its programs were not compared to that of a typical academic facility. Instead,
the planning and design took cues from prominent research institutions and
innovative companies that share similar functions in interdisciplinary
thinking, collaboration, and research.
The new Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, in concept and function,
represents the convergence of ideas between these two disciplines, which have
greatly developed in recent years. The building’s main goals are to create a
dynamic environment for interaction, academic study, and collaboration among
the two schools of thought. Programmatic elements include a 250-person lecture
hall/auditorium, office space, seminar rooms, a multi-story atrium, and open
discussion areas. A pedestrian bridge joins the new center with the existing math
tower and physics building, enabling access to all areas of study. As the nexus
for the schools programs, the building itself is a prominent, technologically
sophisticated mark on the campus employing sustainable strategies to achieve
LEED Gold certification.
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