Fayetteville State University

Science and Technology Building

Fayetteville State University 

PHOTOS © TIM BUCHMAN

Student and faculty at Fayetteville State University (FSU), a part of the University of North Carolina System, have recently moved into a new Science and Technology Building.

The 60,000-square-foot, $20-million building is a major element in the university’s master plan to provide advanced facilities and new academic programs for its students. Meant to be a dynamic campus flagship that makes science an academic focal point, the four-story building is a new home for chemistry, forensics, mathematics, physics and computer science, while also housing a new data center to serve the entire campus.

The building’s two wings — faculty offices on the east side, labs and classrooms on the west — are built around an open courtyard that embraces the existing terrain. The courtyard serves as a gateway to the science complex, which includes two existing science buildings, and ties the new building to the rest of the campus. At the building’s heart, the cone-shaped Discovery Forum gives students and faculty a place to gather, socialize and collaborate. A transparent, multistory glass bridge connects the two wings and opens up attractive views into the courtyard.

The building is also a showcase for the university’s sustainability goals. Intended to be the school’s first LEED-certified building — it was built to achieve LEED Silver recognition — design and construction incorporated the University

President’s Climate Commitment 2010, the FSU Energy & Water Plan of 2011, the FSU Sustainability Coalition and the 2011 FSU Sustainability Policy.

Heery International, as architect of record, collaborated with project design architect Anshen + Allen (now Stantec) along with McKim & Creed (MEP/FP), Stewart Engineering (Struct.) and Rentenbach Constructors (CM@Risk). The project enjoyed a high level of cooperation among the academic departments, facilities management and the design and construction team to ensure the project met all functional and sustainability goals.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Fellowes Expands Finish and Wall-Covering Options for Architectural Wall Systems

    Fellowes Architectural Solutions has expanded the materials library for its architectural wall systems with a series of new finishes and wall-covering options intended to provide architects and designers with additional choices for commercial interiors, according to a company news release.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. RIT Saunders College of Business's Lowenthal Hall Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.