THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH
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QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS
FULFILLING A VISION AT VAUGHN COLLEGE Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology recently completed construction of its new campus cafeteria. The modern 5,000-squarefoot facility replaces the old cafeteria located in the cellar of Vaughn’s main East Elmhurst building, and fulfills a long-planned goal for Vaughn. It also continues the implementation of the longterm Master Campus Plan developed by Graf & Lewent Architects. Vaughn College is renowned nationally for its extraordinary record of providing upward mobility to its diverse student body, including many first-generation Americans and first-generation college students, and for its partnership with the vital airline, airport and engineering industries in the New York area. The new cafeteria is a major step in Vaughn’s continuous program of improvement in its programs and facilities. The working partnership between Vaughn College and Graf & Lewent Architects began 20 years ago, when Steve Lewent attended a Crain’s breakfast event featuring Gordon Bethune, then the CEO of Continental Airlines. Graf & Lewent had been working on projects for Continental since 1995. By chance, Lewent found himself seated next to Dr. Sharon DeVivo who, at the time, was director of Development for the College of Aeronautics, as the school was then known. After learning about DeVivo’s position at the College, Lewent noted that Graf & Lewent specialized in both higher education and airline projects, so maybe there would be a good fit between college and architect. A few years and a few projects later, the College of Aeronautics became Vaughn College, and Vaughn hired Graf & Lewent to create a master plan. This was a great way for Graf & Lewent to get to know and understand Vaughn better, and to help visualize the future of the growing and ambitious college.
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The new cafeteria is a project Vaughn College has had in the pipeline for a number of years. Graf & Lewent worked closely with the Vaughn team to understand the college’s plans to expand and better serve its student community. The master plan included concepts for a new library, conference center, cafeteria, and the college’s first residence hall. A focus of the plan was an interior “quadrangle” located at the geographical center of the main campus building, and surrounded by key student facilities, such as
the library and cafeteria. The residence hall represented a major expansion of Vaughn’s vision for its student population and make-up. It was completed in 2008, and was an immediate success. Suddenly, Vaughn was no longer only a commuter college. Vaughn College is located directly across the Grand Central Parkway from LaGuardia Airport. Certain landing paths require planes to fly very low near Vaughn. Along
with planes taking off at the airport, the sound levels can be significant. In 2011, Vaughn undertook a major upgrade of the main building as part of a soundproofing project sponsored by the Port Authority and the FAA. This project essentially rebuilt much of the original 1930’s-era building inside and out, including new windows, insulation, cladding, and roof. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
The new space is visible to passersby on 23rd Avenue.
