Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Memphis Breaks Ground on STEM Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/27/22

The University of Memphis in Memphis, Tenn., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new STEM Research and Classroom Building, according to university news. The two-story building comes with a price tag of $41 million, will cover 65,000 square feet, and is scheduled for completion in early 2024.

The university received a Carnegie R1 classification last year, and the new construction represents an effort to advance research capabilities and facilities. The building’s plans were submitted in May 2020 and received approval and funding from the state.

“It’s long overdue,” said Bill Hardgrave, University of Memphis President. “The status puts us among the top universities and research in the country. To sustain that and build upon that, we have to have additional research space, and this building is critical.”

The ground floor will contain lab space, including labs dedicated to senior projects and research. The second floor will feature a configurable, active learning classroom that can be reimagined as a large or small classroom space.

“A lot of flexibility has been built into the space so that we can figure one way now, but the engineers, the designers, and architects really spent a lot of effort to think about the potential adjustments that we may need in the future,” said Program host and Interim Provost Abby Parrill.

The facility’s amenities include lab space for advanced manufacturing, biomaterials, cybersecurity, data science, and earthquake engineering, It will also feature instructional venues, research space for the Institute for Intelligent Systems, and open areas to host student design projects and competitions. The university’s existing engineering building will undergo renovation and connect to the new facility with a walkway, according to local news.

The university partnered with A2H and SmithGroup for the building’s design.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.