Buffalo State College officially opened its state-of-the-art Technology Building, Thursday. The facility cost $36.5 million to build and was paid for through the SUNY Construction Fund.
The new building is 35% more energy efficient than another facility of the same size and build. It is equipped with PV solar panels on the roof that produce 50 kilowatts of electricity, as well as a vegetated lower roof that helps reduce storm water runoff, heating and cooling.
The building is expected to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED Gold certified by the United States Green Building Council.
The new facility will house three departments in the School of Professions: Engineering Technology, Computer Information Systems, and Fashion and Textile Technology.
Buffalo State Interim President Howard Cohen says some new technologies inside of the building include an advanced fabric printer and a 3-D printer to allow students and researchers to build working models and prototypes.
“The most important thing about having that building is that when students graduate in these three majors, they will have worked on equipment that they will encounter in the workplace. So, they’ll be really prepared and ready to go to work,” said Cohen.
Buffalo State School of Professions Interim Dean Rita Zientek says the machinery will also provide leverage when attracting new students to the college.
“In the past, these three programs were all housed in three different buildings on campus and this brings these three programs that are all technology based, physically together, and allows for all of those natural opportunities to collaborate. So, it’s just fabulous,” said Zientek.