Engineering Research Building

The $116 million facility will provide approximately 230,000 square feet of space for state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary research and teaching labs and classrooms, faculty and graduate student offices, administrative offices, conference rooms and support areas. The building’s design incorporates several energy-saving features, including green and light-reflecting roofs, window designs for improved use of available light, rain and condensate water capture and storage for landscaping, use of recycled materials, and others that will allow the facility to meet requirements for LEED Silver certification.

Two units of the College of Engineering will be the principal occupants of the Engineering Research Building. The Computer Science & Engineering Department will be located throughout the north wing of the building, and the Bioengineering Department will be primarily in the south wing. Both departments will have access to classrooms, labs, offices and conference rooms of various sizes. A coffee shop will provide a friendly space for faculty and students to gather to relax and study.

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of some engineering activities, a portion of the Engineering Research Building will be occupied by units of the College of Science. These will be located in the south wing of the building. The College of Science will have 18 research labs that will be shared by biology, neuroscience, physics, and chemistry and biochemistry. In addition, the college will also occupy 38 offices for faculty and post-doctoral researchers and two areas with cubicles for graduate students.

Construction materials – red brick, limestone, glass and steel – were selected to both preserve the association with other university buildings and communicate the contemporary aspect of the building’s use. A unique architectural feature is a two-story opening providing a striking gateway into the university grounds. A tree-lined pedestrian mall replaces a former street, and two courtyards provide welcoming places for students to gather. Another feature is a bridge connecting the Engineering Research Building to the new, third floor of the Engineering Laboratory Building.

Construction of the Engineering Research Building will begin in the summer of 2008 and is expected to be ready for occupancy in January of 2011.

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