News: New engineering building opens

The new engineering facility blends technology with "green" building features.

The new engineering building in the Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology opened its doors in January, following a frantic moving schedule over the winter break, as the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, as well as the dean’s office relocated to the new facility.

The Center is comprised of a new five-story, 130,000-square-foot building housing classrooms, 41 labs, a 120-seat auditorium, and office space. Built above an existing underground parking garage, the new tower connects to the adjacent Fourth Avenue Building, which includes 125,000 square feet renovated beginning in 2001. The Fourth Avenue Building, also part of the Northwest Center, houses Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Engineering and Technology Management departments. The Center combines programs previously distributed across campus, allowing for continued growth in research and enrollment.

The new facility includes numerous “green” building features, such as a geothermal heating and cooling system drawing water from underground aquifers. Civil Engineering students working in the Hydrology Lab will be able to study storm water collected from the roof and plaza, which will then be used to flush toilets on the ground floor.

The Northwest Center represents a cornerstone of the University’s successful Building Our Future fundraising campaign, as well as local, state, and federal support for research and construction. A grand opening is scheduled for spring.