Clemson University Opens Advanced Materials Innovation Complex

Clemson University opened the Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in February of 2026 in Clemson, S.C. The $130 million building is the university's most technologically advanced facility to date and will enable the workforce of the future to gain hands-on experience in next-generation manufacturing processes. Designed by HOK, the 143,000-sf center strengthens interdisciplinary synergies by uniting the Department of Materials Science and Engineering with select faculty from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. 

The four-story structure features adaptable wet and dry labs where teams of investigators can translate invention to innovation, creating impactful solutions to pressing global challenges. Bridging theory and practice, teaching labs serve as creative environments for investigation, analysis, and application. This nexus for immersive discovery also provides synergistic classrooms, lecture halls, conference rooms, imaging suites, faculty offices, and shared collaborative spaces.

All students in the complex will conduct research to prepare them for roles as leaders, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Among five undergraduate labs on the second floor, one will house a scanning-electron microscope, with another dedicated to 3D prototyping with access to metal and ceramic 3D printers. A vibrant atrium encourages interaction and knowledge exchange across disciplinary boundaries.

DPR Construction was the construction manager at risk for the development, which broke ground in May of 2023. Newcomb & Boyd performed engineering services including MEP/F, acoustic, audiovisual, communications, and security. Designed to achieve 2 Green Globes, the sustainable project integrates a concrete structure with a brick exterior and an electrochromic glass curtainwall. MillerClapperton fabricated and installed over 26,000 sf of metal paneling, including 11,000 sf of Metal Composite Material (MCM), 14,400 sf of profiled metal panels, and 1,400 sf of louvers. This dynamic hub replaces functions previously located in buildings created between 1930 and 1980, allowing for the systematic renovation of several aging assets.