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

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.