Hicks Hall Design
Competition

This design competition challenged our studio to reimagine Hicks Hall, one of the oldest and most historically significant buildings on the Farmingdale State College campus. The project was initiated by the President of the college, who sought to transform the long-abandoned structure into a functional and symbolic campus destination. Vacant for over 100 years, Hicks Hall presented an opportunity to reconnect history, education, and public life through thoughtful adaptive reuse.

The primary objective was to create a dignitary residence for visiting scholars, speakers, and university guests, while also introducing public spaces that could support campus events. The redesigned first floor houses public and dignitary amenities, including a gallery, banquet hall, and reception spaces. Guest suites with private bathrooms and closets occupy the second floor, providing comfortable and secure accommodations. A commercial kitchen in the basement supports large-scale catering for campus functions.

The competition was developed in collaboration with the senior horticulture class, shaping a design approach centered on landscape and experiential learning. A key focus was physically and visually connecting Hicks Hall to the teaching gardens, reinforcing the relationship between architecture and ecology. The existing gardens were redesigned into a continuous looping path, with dedicated garden zones that offer varied sensory and educational experiences before guiding visitors back to Hicks Hall.

As the project evolved, the scope expanded to include Cutler Hall, which was renovated into a dedicated academic home for the horticulture department. The building was programmed with classrooms, a lecture hall, a rooftop greenhouse, a hand-drafting lab, and a computer lab, addressing the department’s long-standing need for centralized facilities. In addition, two new buildings were proposed. Patterson Hall serves as a large catering and event space for campus functions, while Button Hall houses two general-use lecture halls to address a significant shortage of instructional space on campus.

The final presentation was delivered in the Campus Center to a jury composed of the campus president and faculty from both the architecture and horticulture departments. The project was awarded second place, with each team member receiving a $200 cash prize, and the work is scheduled to be publicly exhibited in the Campus Center for the broader campus community.