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

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.