Georgia Southern’s new $60 million Engineering and Research Building completes

Georgia Southern’s new $60 million, 140,625-sf Engineering and Research Building has completed construction. The building was designed to facilitate academic and institutional partnerships, inspire creative engineering, and accelerate academic success for students in the College of Engineering and Computing.

The new facility centralizes various departments and multiple disciplines whose activities previously took place in three buildings. The building will enhance the university’s research capabilities as well as opportunities for faculty to engage students in hands-on research and teaching projects.

Applied research spaces with a strong focus on manufacturing engineering, civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering are all housed in the three-story building. Workspaces can be easily reconfigured for various uses, projects, and applications while also providing students with access to industry-grade equipment and expanded opportunities for undergraduate research.

In total the building houses more than 35 labs including robotics and automated manufacturing labs, a traditional and CNC finishing lab, a materials science and characterization lab, an industrial instrumentation and controls lab, a joining and welding lab, and a renewable energy roof deck lab (solar, wind, weather). Metal and non-metal 3D-printing spaces are also included.

The building also includes one of the Southeast’s only Class 3 cleanrooms, which is necessary for manufacturing or scientific research that requires and environment with very low levels of pollutants such as dust, microbes, vapors, or aerosol particles.

21 research spaces, six classrooms, four conference rooms, 27 offices, and a 1,500-sf colloquium space with a 500-sf balcony are also included.

SmithGroup was the project architect. JE Dunn Construction built the facility.