With a new facility at 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, the College of Engineering is giving students an innovative way to learn.
“The goal of the building was to change the way we educate our students,” said University Architect Tom Ganey. He and the engineering department wanted to give students a hands-on experience in the new building, from the structure of the hall itself to its updated equipment and spacious labs. Ceilings are open. Steel support beams are exposed. Concrete floors have been stained and sealed but left with their natural cracks.
Students’ experience in the engineering building is more than hands-on – it’s green. With state-of-the-art technology like a heat recovery chiller that captures heat not being used and recycles its energy, the new hall is energy efficient and easy on the environment. The building has walls made of reclaimed and recycled wood, LED lighting that uses less energy and lasts longer than fluorescent lighting and floor-to-ceiling windows that both heat and light the interior.
Glass windows inside the building separate student lounges from labs, creating an interactive setting where visitors can observe students in action.
“We wanted to make it visible, so people can see the activity,” Ganey said.
Ganey added that a major benefit of the new structure is its sheer size, as it will accommodate all engineering disciplines in academic building.
“We’re big enough to do big things, but small enough to be all together,” Ganey said.
While lab spaces on the ground and first stories opened for class use this fall, the top three floors of the building are still under construction. Ganey gave reporters from the Marquette Tribune an inside look into this new building, where learning happens around literally every corner.