Gruzen Samton gets an A at Brooklyn College.

Gruzen Samton Architects, in association with Kliment & Halsband Architects, has been awarded the "Excellence in Planning and Architecture Merit Award in Campus Heritage" by the Society for College and University Planning and the American Institute of Architecture Committee on Architecture of Education. The firms won for the design of the Brooklyn College master plan.

The goals of Gruzen Samton's master plan were to provide facilities to meet the college's growing academic, support and research programs over the next few decades; maximize the reuse of existing campus resources; create a friendly student environment; establish a linkage between the east and west portions of campus and integrate the college with the surrounding community.

The plan for the historic, 26-acre campus, completed in 1995, included bringing virtually abandoned spaces back to life through the construction of the West Quad physical education building, additions to several existing buildings, including La Guardia Library, and the removal of structures too costly to repair and maintain, such as the Bedford Avenue pedestrian bridge.

While the master plan has completely transformed Brooklyn College, the campus is still clearly recognizable as the vision of the original 1935 planners.

"Our team of architects worked 18 months to complete this master plan," said Scott Keller, partner of Gruzen Samton Architects. "We believe we maintained the historic identity of the campus while creating useful spaces for each department that are student friendly. Brooklyn College is now one of the most beautiful colleges in the country and we are proud to be recognized for our efforts there."