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

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.

  • 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.

Digital Edition