Missouri University Selects Builder for Protoplex Building

Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo., recently announced that it has selected the construction manager at risk for its upcoming Protoplex building. PARIC Corp. will spearhead the new facility that will become the anchor of the university’s Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Campus. The Protoplex building comes with an estimated price tag of $53.4 million and will cover 116,000 square feet, according to local news.

A news release reports that the facility will connect federal, state, and industry agencies alongside colleges and universities throughout the state. “The Missouri Protoplex will be the headquarters for a state-wide ecosystem where experts, innovators, small and large businesses, entrepreneurs, educators, and policy-makers develop and adopt the technologies needed to create and sustain manufacturing jobs throughout the state,” according to the press release.

The space is set to include labs and shop spaces, high-bay and double-height labs, meeting and collaboration spaces, storage, administrative space, display spaces, and a lobby area. The university is also partnering with Mackey Mitchell Architects, Perkins&Will Architects, and McClure Engineering. Construction is scheduled to start during summer 2023.

According to the university website, the facility is designed around the manufacturing industry’s four fundamental disciplines: materials, manufacturing & methods; pre-production testing & development; the forge-steel and advanced metallurgy; and cyber-physical systems security, testing & development. The Protoplex building will offer space and equipment across its offices, labs, and research and production facilities for each facet.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • 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.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.

  • Dallas-Area District Debuts Three New Facilities

    The Duncanville Independent School District in southwest Dallas, Texas, recently held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for three new facilities that resulted from a $170-million bond program passed in 2023, according to a news release.