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
| Aug 11, 2010
PCL Construction, HITT Contracting among nation's largest commercial building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 Commercial Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Webcor, Hunt Construction lead the way in mixed-use construction, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 30 Mixed-Use Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, HDR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest institutional building design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 Institutional Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Polshek Partnership unveils design for University of North Texas business building
New York-based architect Polshek Partnership today unveiled its design scheme for the $70 million Business Leadership Building at the University of North Texas in Denton. Designed to provide UNT’s 5,400-plus business majors the highest level of academic instruction and professional training, the 180,000-sf facility will include an open atrium, an internet café, and numerous study and tutoring rooms—all designed to help develop a spirit of collaboration and team-oriented focus.
| Aug 11, 2010
UCLA to get more graduate housing
The University of California, Los Angeles, has begun a new graduate housing project that will occupy 275,000 sf of the campus. The Wayburn Terrace Graduate Housing Project, led by California-based construction management and consulting firm Gafcon, includes a residential building comprising 500 studio apartments, a commons building, and administrative offices.
| Aug 11, 2010
Fashion school gives old building a make over
A new art facility for LIM, the College for the Business of Fashion, in midtown Manhattan is the result of a gut renovation of a six-story townhouse-school built in 1880. The new facility will continue LIM's mission of educating undergraduates on the business side of fashion. Architecture firm Butler Rogers Baskett transformed the old building's claustrophobic layout into a modern, multifunctio...
| Aug 11, 2010
Biomedical center to join London's research scene
The UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation, a partnership of scientific organizations researching new treatments for illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, hopes to attract leading medical scientists to its planned research center. Designed by HOK London, the building will be located on 3.
| Aug 11, 2010
San Diego Mesa College enhances math and science facilities
A $92 million, 180,000-sf instructional center soon will rise at the heart of San Diego Mesa College in California. Slated to open in November 2012, the Math and Science Building will be funded by Propositions S and N construction bond program. The blueprint calls for four floors of classrooms, laboratory space, and offices for several science departments.
| Aug 11, 2010
Tufts University puts bite into new dental school addition
The recently dedicated Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, in Boston, represents the culmination of a 22-month vertical expansion of the school's original 1972 building. The $68 million project involved constructing five new stories totaling 95,000 sf atop the building's existing 10 stories, which were also remodeled.
| Aug 11, 2010
Northeast Lakeview College opens in Texas, to serve 15,000 students
After four years of construction, Northeast Lakeview College, the newest addition to Alamo Colleges, is complete. Designed by Overland Partners Architects in collaboration with Ford Powell & Carson, the nine-building, 285-acre campus in Universal City, near San Antonio, will serve up to 15,000 students.
