Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

STEAM Center Construction at University of St. Thomas Underway

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/28/22

At the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., construction is underway on a new centralized home for STEAM education. The Schoenecker Center will stand five stories and cover more than 130,000 square feet to integrate the school’s art, science, engineering and innovation programs, according to the university website. Design-build contractor McGough broke ground on the project in May, and construction is scheduled for completion during the spring semester of 2024.

The new facility will include amenities like a high bay for engineering, an emerging media newsroom and classrooms, science labs and offices, an art gallery, rehearsal and performance space for choral and instrumental groups, flex space for collaboration and group work, and a café with a community area.

The $110-million complex was named in honor of donors Guy and Barbara Schoenecker and aims to offer an inclusive approach to interdisciplinary education, according to a university news release. “This building is actually not about contradictions, but an ideal,” said Dean Don Weinkauf of the School of Engineering. “Forward-thinking students thrive at St. Thomas because they come with something more. They come with what I would call an ‘and’ spirit. Great at mathematics and athletics. Great at playing music and designing bridges.”

According to a November 2021 news story announcing the project, the building will house three distinct academic areas: Arts, Engineering and Sciences. It will also play home to the university Center for Artificial Intelligence, the Center for Data Science and the Center for Water Justice. It will also provide space to local K–12 schools and community groups for meetings and performances.

“What research is telling us, what our industry partners are telling us, is that they need graduates who have broad knowledge, who are flexible thinkers and who are used to working with different fields and different ideas,” said University President Julie Sullivan. “That’s exactly what you will see when you step through the doors of the Schoenecker Center.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • 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.

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.