The 183,000-sf Structural and Materials Engineering Building at UCSD houses several engineering departments, including Structural Engineering and NanoEngineering, as well as the Department of Visual Arts. Inspired by Bauhaus principles, the building's design fosters interaction between arts and engineering disciplines through gathering spaces, communal circulation, and shared computer and research laboratories. Offices are grouped around a variety of open meeting spaces to enhance collaboration while maintaining privacy.

UCSD’s Structural Engineering and NanoEngineering departments gain research laboratories for nanotube technologies and new composite structure materials for the aerospace, construction, and computer and electrical equipment industries. The facility also includes space for high-bay testing equipment, an autoclave area, long-term testing suites for material processing, digital imaging computer rooms, large workshop spaces for student projects, a library, classrooms, and offices for faculty and staff. The Visual Arts Department is accommodated with shared computer labs, video editing suites, presentation and gallery spaces, an auditorium, a fabrication workshop, and studios for faculty and graduate students.

Outdoor amphitheater-style seating encourages casual interaction and can be transformed into an indoor/outdoor performance space by opening the walls up to the adjacent auditorium. A pedestrian bridge that connects the building to the main campus thoroughfares helps make this building a locus of campus activity.