Prairie View A&M University Debuts New Academic Building

Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, recently opened a new, three-story Engineering Classroom and Research Building (EnCARB), according to a news release. The 106,000-square-foot facility provides academic, research, and technical space for the university’s Roy G. Perry College of Engineering. The university partnered with integrated design and engineering firm Stantec for the project.

The new building features more than 30 labs for chemical, civil engineering, and mechanical departments, as well as multidisciplinary research in fields like space exploration, data analytics, robotics and artificial intelligence, 3D manufacturing, and more. It also includes built-in flexible spaces to support different pedagogies and a maker space.

“EnCARB will allow PVAMU to take their laboratory instruction and research pursuits to the next level with state-of-the-art facilities that are flexible by design and will allow them to be nimble and adapt in the fast-evolving field of engineering,” said Stantec principal Cynthia Labelle. “Students will learn and grow across many engineering disciplines in a future-focused learning environment.”

EnCARB will also be one of a small number of U.S. facilities to feature a microgravity drop tower for research regarding space-related conditions. Stantec has previously completed STEM-related facilities at universities like Yale, the University of Texas at Dallas, Central Michigan University, and the University of Texas at Permian Basin, according to the news release.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.