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

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • University of Kansas Breaks Ground on Entrepreneurship Hub

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KU Entrepreneurship Hub, according to university news. The Hub is part of the university’s School of Business and will include spaces for experiential learning and programming.