Baldassano winning praise for $35m law school design.

Students, faculty and the community are in awe of the dramatic, modern 185,000 s/f new complex for Touro Law Center designed by the Ronkonkoma-based Baldassano Architecture working with The Parr Organization.

Once housed in a renovated junior high school in Huntington, the law school now has a $35 million, four-story facility to call home.

Located directly across from the Federal and State courts on the Central Islip campus, the new building will accommodate nearly 800 full and part time students. It includes a 42,000 s/f law library, twice the number of classrooms as before and a 500-seat high tech auditorium that doubles as a moot court room.

Touro's administration asked the architects to create a versatile, elegant building that expresses its social, educational and professional ideologies.

"Baldassano's design met our needs perfectly," said Dean Lawrence Raful. First it allowed everyone circulating throughout the building to see the activity and movement while interacting easily with each other.

Equally important is the view of the courts across from the school making students and faculty feel part of the greater legal environment.

Taking advantage of the proximity to the courts, Touro has a new program where first year students will observe the legal system in action.

Baldassano's dynamic, open design scheme connects everyone who uses this monumental building. At the heart of the school, is a grand, four-story glass enclosed atrium.

"Like a heart, the atrium pumps people through all areas and links the east and west wing," said Bryan Richter, project architect. People are encouraged to congregate as they enter and exit via the landscaped plazas on either side of the school. Artistic, geometric forms and shapes weave in an out of the atrium area allowing for complete visibility and access to activity inside the building.

"By using expansive deep cut reflective glass along the exterior and interior walls, we are able to capture life, education and energy throughout the building as well as visibility to the courts outside," explained Richter. The glass filters in an abundance of natural light that permeates throughout for an uplifting feeling.

Adding a sense of drama to the exterior, the glass and pre-cast concrete panels offer a varied interplay of shadows created by the reflective glass on the exterior at different times throughout the day.

Cantilevered cubes that house the faculty suites add a distinctive architectural element and dimension while giving each faculty member access to a window and light.

This completely wireless campus features a technologically advanced 500 seat auditorium, that includes drop down screens, sound and ability to use laptops.

The two-story auditorium with tiered seating on the first floor and mezzanine comprises a court bench with a witness and jury box. Baldassano designed the auditorium in a wedge shape to maximize the number of people in the space.

Because the long site dictated the rectilinear shape of the building, Baldassano placed it midway with parking lots and plazas on either side to minimize the walking distance. Ease of circulation through the expansive school became an important need. For that reason, the architects situated the public areas like the library and the clinic near the atrium and entries on the main floor.

The clinic, which provides free legal services to the community, resembles a law firm complete with faculty offices, conference rooms, interview rooms and student work space.

"This is an inviting, comfortable environment," said Dean Raful. "We are finding that students are remaining in the building throughout the day where before many left right after class," explains Dean Raful.

Students remark there is an increased ability to focus and interact with the professors that stimulates learning.