• Construction is underway on a 15,000-square-foot facility designed by CetraRuddy following an Oct. 1 groundbreaking.听
• Campuswide gathering and performance spaces will share the building with Hillel and the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.听
• The hillside project is the first new building in a broader plan to transform a parking lot into green campus space.听

ROCHESTER, N.Y. 鈥� The University of Rochester has broken ground on a 15,000-square-foot Student Life Building designed by CetraRuddy, combining campuswide gathering and performance spaces with a new home for the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.听

The project, which marked its formal groundbreaking Oct. 1, is under construction on the university鈥檚 River Campus. It will be the first new building developed through a broader master plan to replace an existing parking lot with a green center for campus activity.听

The building will occupy a hillside on the university鈥檚 Olmsted-designed campus. Its layout is intended to improve pedestrian connections while providing areas for studying, collaboration, events and informal interaction.听

At the entrance level, a daylit lobby will lead to shared gathering areas. Conference spaces, an expandable ballroom and dedicated rehearsal facilities for dance and other performance groups will also occupy this floor.听

The second floor will accommodate Hillel at the University of Rochester and the Greenbaum Center, addressing space constraints at the existing Interfaith Chapel. A beit midrash, a traditional Jewish house of study, will anchor the floor, alongside spaces for meals, holiday celebrations and programming. The center is also intended to serve the broader Rochester-area Jewish community.听

鈥淥ur vision is about creating a place where architecture reinforces community, with welcoming spaces that encourage connection, support student wellbeing, and foster a lasting sense of belonging for generations to come,鈥� CetraRuddy founding principal Nancy J. Ruddy said in an emailed press release.听

CetraRuddy鈥檚 design draws on the site鈥檚 geology and terrain, using rock strata and the layers of a geode as references for the building鈥檚 form and horizontal detailing. Terraces and planted walkways will connect interior activities with outdoor spaces, including a second-floor terrace and a lobby-level patio with picnic tables and mature trees.听

鈥淩ather than standing apart as a singular object, the building is nestled into the hillside and positioned within established patterns of movement, helping define the edge of the future campus growth,鈥澨鼵etraRuddy principal Theresa Genovese said in the company鈥檚 release.听

Sustainability features include daylighting strategies, energy-efficient systems, on-site stormwater management and a partial sedum roof. The firm also identifies healthy materials among the project鈥檚 design priorities. These measures are intended to support the university鈥檚 sustainability goals through coordinated building design, site planning and landscaping.听

Completion of the new facility is expected in fall of 2027.听

This article is based on a press release provided by CetraRuddy, dated Oct. 2, 2026.听

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.鈥擳he design of a new,听800-student听K-12听school campus on New York鈥檚 Staten Island for the group Integration Charter听Schools (ICS) is now underway.

Slated for completion by Spring 2021, CetraRuddy is the architect on this project. CLJ Building Enterprises Inc. is the general contractor.

Occupying three full levels of the eight-story Corporate Commons Three听mixed-use complex, the new ICS facilities dramatically expand the organization’s听ability to serve听its growing student body. This project will also bring three ICS communities鈥攖he听John W. Lavelle Preparatory Charter School听(grades K-12),听Nicotra Early College听Charter听School听(grades 8-12), and听New Ventures Charter School听(grades 10-12)鈥攖ogether into a single campus for the first time.

CetraRuddy Principal Theresa M. Genovese said that the new work for ICS reflects a growing听trend of incorporating urban schools within mixed-use听communities.

鈥淭he architecture and听interior design听evolve from our firm鈥檚 guiding principles, creating听a welcoming, flexible, and highly functional听environment that nurtures and supports a range of diverse learning styles and听educational needs, and that听also enables teachers to do their best work.鈥�

The project also exemplifies emerging best practices for contemporary K-12 learning听environments. Key project elements include:

• Sensitive听integration within the larger mixed-use complex听through a separate ground-floor听student entry lobby and elevator bank, as well as the location of gyms,听cafeterias, and other social听spaces on the middle school floor to reduce noise听impacts for other building tenants.
• Facilities听that support diverse learning styles,听including a range of spaces for group and individual听musical听instruction, as well as a full commercial teaching kitchen and working rooftop听farm for food-based educational programs. These uses also support student job听training and internship opportunities听at Corporate Commons Three鈥檚 onsite,听not-for-profit restaurant.
• A design approach emphasizing听wellness听for students and teaching staff alike.

Highlights include听durable听finishes in a calming neutral color palette; open corridors and classrooms听oriented around the building鈥檚听perimeter for maximum natural daylight exposure;听dedicated counseling 鈥渃lusters鈥� for each grade comprising听a meeting room,听counseling room and teacher workroom adjacent to classrooms; large central听common听spaces for each grade to encourage a sense of community and belonging; a听yoga center and meditation areas听specifically for teachers; and the accessible听green roof for nutrition-focused, skills-based education.

Added Genovese, 鈥淥ur goal for the design of the new听Integration Charter School听was to create an expanded campus which inspires the students and faculty to succeed听together as a community.鈥�

The cost of this project is not being disclosed at this time.

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