The facility features an internationally recognized robotics program and a concept-to-market wood construction program that both emphasize tactile, hands-on experience.

Students can utilize the space for a range of STEAM-based skills, including mechanical engineering, metal fabrication, business and marketing strategies, and computer programming.  

Inspired by the fundamentally tectonic programs that occur within the building, the concept for the new facility intentionally expresses and celebrates material components often hidden or ignored. Structure, conduit, wall framing, and even fasteners were ‘designed’ to elevate their legibility to the everyday observer and express the related structural nature of architecture.  

Being a bit playful in this process, exaggerated cantilevers on the east and west ends of the building evoke wonder while also providing shelter for the outdoor work areas below. Similarly, a perforated aluminum scrim wraps the entire structure, exposing a crimson substrate and diagonal array of girts beyond, revealing the wall construction while also passively mitigating direct sunlight to labs.  

Creating a structure that evokes innovation while also being sensitive to the adjacent existing building was a foundational design consideration. The new robotics facility offers a diverse community of users a flexible and adaptable infrastructure that facilitates future-focused, real-world participation in STEAM education initiatives.