Robins & Morton and Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction (CADC) recently celebrated the dedication of the Robins & Morton Construction Field Laboratory.
A facility of the CADC’s McWhorter School of Building Science, the first-of-its-kind lab will advance hands-on education and research. It was made possible with support from its namesake construction firm valued at more than $1.3 million.
“The field lab is a teaching and research facility that allows our students and faculty to experience the full range of construction management, including building assemblies in full scale and testing new construction materials and processes,” CADC Dean Vini Nathan said. “We are thrilled that this facility is the first and only one of its kind in the U.S., which gives our students a distinct advantage in the competitive building construction industry.”
Representatives of Robins & Morton joined CADC leadership, faculty and students for the March 4 event. The Robins & Morton Construction Field Laboratory, located on the university’s campus in Auburn, Alabama, recreates an active construction site, complete with a classroom that resembles a project office and indoor and outdoor spaces to demonstrate building processes.
SEE ALSO: Unsung heroes - Two hurricanes couldn't stop this project team
“We believe field experience is critical to a successful a career in our industry,” Robins & Morton Chairman and CEO Bill Morton said. “The field lab allows students the opportunity to combine experience in the field with a formal classroom education. We’re very excited to have this opportunity to partner with Auburn University to advance the learning process for the next generation of construction professionals.”
The field lab will provide opportunities for visiting tradespeople to demonstrate their crafts to students and for other construction professionals to work with students outside the classroom. “One of the biggest challenges we see recent graduates face when they begin their careers is adapting to the pace and complexity of a construction project and understanding how to collaborate with project team members and trade contractors,” said Aimee Comer, Robins & Morton’s Vice President of People & Development.
The McWhorter School of Building Science will use the field lab for faculty research and to support community services project such as builds for Habitat for Humanity. In addition to the classroom building, the field lab includes:
• A steel building with four 30-foot high bays, two of which are fully enclosed
• Multiple Conex units that can serve as demonstration stations, project stations or for tool and equipment storage
• Outdoor spaces for large equipment demonstrations.
The school will also use the lab to host outreach events, including the Construction Management Summer Academy for Young Women and the Building Construction Summer Camp for rising high school juniors and seniors, already scheduled for June.
Related Stories
| Apr 17, 2012
FMI report examines federal construction trends
Given the rapid transformations occurring in the federal construction sector, FMI examines the key forces accelerating these changes, as well as their effect on the industry.
| Apr 16, 2012
University of Michigan study seeks to create efficient building design
The result, the researchers say, could be technologies capable of cutting the carbon footprint created by the huge power demands buildings place on the nation’s electrical grid.
| Apr 16, 2012
UNT lab designed to study green energy technologies completed
Lab to test energy technologies and systems in order to achieve a net-zero consumption of energy.
| Apr 13, 2012
Goettsch Partners designs new music building for Northwestern
The showcase facility is the recital hall, an intimate, two-level space with undulating walls of wood that provide optimal acoustics and lead to the stage, as well as a 50-foot-high wall of cable-supported, double-skin glass
| Apr 11, 2012
C.W. Driver completes Rec Center on CSUN campus
The state-of-the-art fitness center supports university’s goal to encourage student recruitment and retention.
| Mar 28, 2012
Holden Cancer Center opens at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
The new cancer clinic provides a significant increase in patient space from the prior facility, which was located in an adjacent building.
| Mar 28, 2012
Tsoi/Kobis & Associates developing master plan for UT Southwestern Medical Center
Firm will spearhead strategies for transforming existing in-patient hospital into state-of-the-art ambulatory care facility.
| Mar 27, 2012
Groundbreaking held for Valencia College West Campus Building 10 in Orlando
Project led by design-build team of SchenkelShultz Architecture and McCree General Contractors, both of Orlando.
| Mar 26, 2012
McCarthy tops off Math and Science Building at San Diego Mesa College
Designed by Architects | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker, the new San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building will provide new educational space for students pursuing degree and certificate programs in biology, chemistry, physical sciences and mathematics.
| Mar 21, 2012
Iowa’s Mercy Medical Center’s new Emergency Department constructed using Lean design
New Emergency Department features a "racetrack" design with a central nurses' station encircled by 19 private patient examination rooms and 2 trauma treatment rooms.
