A Bold Architectural Bet Transformed this Long Island Campus

With careful vision and classical cues, SBLM Architects helped turn Long Island University’s Veterinary College into a respected institution.

By Sadie Mayhew

When Long Island University first announced its plan to expand its Brookville campus to house a veterinary school, the news was met with polite skepticism and more than a few raised eyebrows. The surrounding neighborhood, lined with sweeping estates and historic mansions, is known for its old money charm and its distaste for new builds.

What LIU was proposing required a delicate balance. They needed to create a state-of-the-art veterinary medicine college that could compete with top-tier programs in the tristate area, while doing it in a way that wouldn’t disrupt the genteel aesthetic of Brookville. Then came in SBLM Architects.

A Vision of Red Brick and Columns

The Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine, which was recently named in honor of animal welfare champions Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt, now stands as an extension of LIU’s original campus. But just a few years ago, the school’s facilities were outdated and unaccredited, lacking the infrastructure to train high-level veterinary professionals. The school was taking a gamble— on the architects, on the students willing to enroll without accreditation, and on the community’s willingness to accept a growing campus.

SBLM’s solution was to lean into tradition. Rather than impose a stark new build, the firm designed a red-brick façade flanked by classic white columns, mimicking the look and feel of prestigious East Coast institutions. The additions were nestled into the existing landscape, preserving sight-lines and honoring the town’s preference for subtlety.

Design Reference. Photo courtesy of SBLM

“We wanted it to feel like it had always been there,” says John Kelly, SBLM Principal and Education Studio Director. “Not just to please the community, but because that sense of legacy is part of what gives a campus its credibility.”

Connecting the Past to the Future

Beyond its outward appearance, the challenge lay in what couldn’t be seen. The veterinary college needed to integrate with LIU’s other medical facilities, creating a cohesive academic experience while also meeting stringent technical demands.

New lecture halls and laboratories were designed to interlink with the older buildings, bringing modern capabilities to existing footprints. Students now benefit from modern and high tech simulation labs, digital dissection tables, and real-time microscopy equipment.

All of these are features that previously didn’t exist on campus. Just a few years ago, even basic teaching labs were still stuck in the 1950’s from when they were first built. Today, students walk through these spaces equipped for the future of veterinary medicine.

Lecture Hall. Photo courtesy of SBLM

A Leap of Faith

When the school welcomed its first class in 2020, the program had yet to earn its official accreditation. Students signed on anyway, taking a risk that the school—and the facilities being built around them—would meet national standards by the time they graduated. Fortunately, it was a bet that paid off. The Lewyt College is now a fully accredited program and ranked number 2 (just behind Cornell) for veterinary medicine in the ti-state area.

“It wasn’t just about putting up beautiful buildings,” Kelly says. “It was about creating the kind of space that inspires confidence—from students, from the town, and from the profession.”

Respecting the Neighbors

Perhaps most impressively, the transformation was completed with minimal friction from the community in the end. The buildings were strategically placed to minimize their visual impact, tucked behind natural tree lines or built along existing structures. The result is a campus expansion that feels more like an evolution than a disruption.

Brookville locals, notoriously protective of their environment, have quietly praised the additions. In many cases, the buildings are nearly invisible from the street which was a deliberate design decision that allowed LIU to grow without altering the character of its surroundings.

Photos courtesy of SBLM

What started as a vision has become a model of measured ambition. SBLM Architects delivered more than just buildings; they helped shape a veterinary program that now competes with the best in the nation, all while maintaining harmony with one of the most visually and socially conservative neighborhoods on Long Island.

The Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine is now a cornerstone of LIU’s identity and proof that with the right blend of tradition and innovation, even new additions can be built to fit in.

Layout of new build connecting to existing building. Photo courtesy of SBLM