Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Maine Opens New Engineering, Design Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/01/22

The University of Maine in Orono, Maine, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new E. James and Eileen P. Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center (Ferland EEDC) on Wednesday, Aug. 24. The new facility will play home to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Program and teaching labs for the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program. A university press release reports that the new building will let the university expand its engineering enrollment by 600 additional students per year.

The facility measures in at 115,000 square feet, and construction began in May 2020. A virtual groundbreaking ceremony took place in April 2020 and a virtual topping-off ceremony in February 2021. The university partnered with WBRC Architects Engineers and Ellenzweig for the project’s architecture and design and with Consigli Construction for construction.

It features amenities like the Student Project Design Suite, which includes 44 workbenches to be assigned to students, as well as areas for electronics, vehicles, biomedical engineering, 3D printing, wood, metals and composites, according to the press release. It also houses the Campus Welcome and STEM Outreach Center.

“This state-of-the-art center at our R1 university will allow us to produce more engineering and computing and information science professionals that Maine needs to grow its economy and be competitive in the world,” said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “This facility is a tribute to the forward thinking and leadership of three Legislatures and two Governors on behalf of the people of Maine and stakeholders who know the value of a UMaine education and hands-on research learning and the difference it makes in the success of its students, alumni and the state.”

The total cost of the project was about $78 million, $50 million of which came from an investment by the state of Maine.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • Little Grand Market

    Designing for Belonging: Why Student Wellness Starts with Space

    From walkable site planning to flexible interiors, intentional design choices play a critical role in how students experience comfort, connection, and community.

  • Abstract tech network data connections with orange, blue glowing dots, lines

    3 Trends for Higher Education to Stay Ahead of in 2026

    As universities enter the new year, the question is no longer whether digital transformation is necessary, but how quickly institutions can convert technological potential into strategic advantage.