As part of an ambitious expansion and renovation campaign, for which it has raised in excess of $125 million, Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Mich., recently debuted its $16.9 million, 36,700-sf A. Alfred Taubman Engineering, Architecture, and Life Sciences Complex, which is home to the Marburger STEM Center, and provides a collaborative learning environment for emerging technologies such as robotics, biomedical engineering, and mechatronics.
The building, which opened in August, combines the Science and Engineering Buildings. Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects, the project’s Design Director, designed the Complex as an “extruable section” of the campus, meaning that it is expandable as needed. Subsequent phases of this project could include an addition to the one-story wing of the Engineering Building, more classrooms and lab space, and expanded resources for programs such as Architectural Engineering and Industrial Design.
Two floors of labs overlook an open flex space that’s the heart of the Complex, with a reconfigurable hall for meetings and lectures. Clerestory glazing fills this space with light defused with an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) scrim along its east and west facades.
The building establishes a new axis for the campus, as it is linked to neighboring buildings by lifted bridges. It also creates a new focal point for the University’s quad thanks to a 44-foot-high carbon-fiber circulation “orb,” floating above a reflecting pool, which contains a main staircase and marks the entry of the building.
A 44-foot-high orb, the entry to the Taubman Complex, includes an interior stairwell with translucent floors that let in natural light. Image: ©Nic Lehoux
The orb is capped at both ends by circular skylights that let sunlight in through translucent floors of the stairwell. To accommodate the design of the curved structure, Albert Kahn Associates, the project’s AOR and EOR, oversaw the rigorous testing and manufacturing processes to achieve a first-of-its-kind carbon fiber composite formulation and application. (Kahn includes several LTU alumni, including Alan Cobb, FAIA, the firm’s president and CEO, who was Executive Architect on this project.)
The carbon fiber is layered with wedge shapes, like a football, which allows the orb to maintain its structural integrity.
Professional Engineering Association served as the civil engineering consultant on the project. The Mannick & Smith Group provided geotechnical advice. The building is shooting for LEED Silver certification.
The new building includes a large, flexible open space with a reconfigurable hall for meetings and conferences. Image: ©Nic Lehoux
Related Stories
| Jun 12, 2014
SmithGroup finishes 100th LEED-certified project
With the construction of the LEED-NC Platinum Oakland University Human Health Building, constructed in Rochester, Michigan, SmithGroupJJR recently achieved its 100th LEED certified project.
| Jun 11, 2014
5 ways Herman Miller's new office concept rethinks the traditional workplace
Today's technologies allow us to work anywhere. So why come to an office at all? Herman Miller has an answer.
| Jun 9, 2014
6 design strategies for integrating living and learning on campus
Higher education is rapidly evolving. As we use planning and design to help our clients navigate major shifts in culture, technology, and funding, it is essential to focus on strategies that help foster an education that is relevant after graduation. One way to promote relevance is to strengthen the bond between academic disciplines and the campus residential life experience.
| Jun 9, 2014
Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program
The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.
| Jun 9, 2014
10 projects named 2014 AIA Small Project Award winners
Yale's funky new Ground café and a pavilion made from 53,780 recycled plastic bottles are among the nation's best new small projects.
| Jun 2, 2014
Parking structures group launches LEED-type program for parking garages
The Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, has launched the Green Garage Certification program, the parking industry equivalent of LEED certification.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
Sponsored | | May 27, 2014
Grim Hall opens the door to fire safety with fire-rated ceramic glass
For the renovation of Lincoln University’s Grim Hall life sciences building into a state-of-the-art computer facility, Tevebaugh Associates worked to provide students and faculty with improved life safety protection. Updating the 1925-era facility's fire-rated doors was an important component of the project.
| May 23, 2014
Top interior design trends: Gensler, HOK, FXFOWLE, Mancini Duffy weigh in
Tech-friendly furniture, “live walls,” sit-stand desks, and circadian lighting are among the emerging trends identified by leading interior designers.
| May 22, 2014
Big Data meets data centers – What the coming DCIM boom means to owners and Building Teams
The demand for sophisticated facility monitoring solutions has spurred a new market segment—data center infrastructure management (DCIM)—that is likely to impact the way data center projects are planned, designed, built, and operated.
