Plenary Sessions
Next-level engineering facilities and space types for the next-generation of future engineers
Opening in early 2024, University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s $115-million privately-funded Kiewit Hall will serve as the new academic hub for undergraduate engineering education and Lincoln-based construction management programs, equipping the next generation of engineers as future leaders by enabling every student to become the best version of themselves in support of our values of Community, Impact and Inclusion. Lance Perez and Kim Wilson set out key project drivers and program-enabling features of classrooms, instructional labs, engineering student services, student design and collaborative maker spaces. They preview strategic next steps in the College of Engineering’s ongoing $170 million expansion and facilities transformation initiative.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 8:45AM - 9:10AM | Salon C Ballroom |
UNC Charlotte’s classroom study launches engineering facility renovation/expansion and new master plan priorities
A comprehensive study on classroom use is fueling a major engineering, computing, and informatics facility renovation/expansion and informing an update to the master plan for UNC Charlotte. Kathryn Horne examines changes in teaching and learning brought to light through the classroom study, how data and recommendations have been translated into a range of new capital and design priorities, and findings on the process of re-prioritizing spaces and spending. She scopes out the coming programmatic shift for engineering labs and classrooms and what it means for retaining students and fostering academic success.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 9:10AM - 9:35AM | Salon C Ballroom |
Repurposing facilities for robotics education, research, and partnerships
UT Austin’s rehabilitated 1930’s-era gymnasium now serves as the hub for Texas Robotics: a multi-disciplinary science and engineering partnership to advance robotics research and education, and bridge the gap between higher ed and industry. Peter Stone provides a walk-through of the repurposed Anna Hiss Gym, providing the planning rationales for spaces supporting robotic applications in social, surgical, rehabilitation, vehicles, drilling, manufacturing, space, nuclear, and defense fields. With a year’s worth of operations to pull from, he identifies what’s working well, what could have been done better, and new robotics developments to consider when planning space and facilities for these types of programs.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 9:55AM - 10:20AM | Salon C Ballroom |
A new model for energy and agricultural research and teaching: UT’s Energy and Environmental Science Research Building
Opening in early 2024 and designed to drive discovery and application to solve today’s most pressing issues, the Energy and Environmental Science Research Building on University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s Knoxville campus will serve as a centerpiece and living research environment for students, with biophilic design and a green roof for teaching, research, and informal learning. Andy Powers examines the programmatic decision making, lab and classroom designs, floorplans and space allocations for a facility equipped with a technology infrastructure of the highest level. He illustrates decisions on interdisciplinary and specialized research laboratories, support and teaching laboratories, shared resources, and active learning classrooms, all to serve the Ag-science mission.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 10:25AM - 10:50AM | Salon C Ballroom |
The future of engineering+ programs: New priorities, space types, programming strategies
As engineering joins with more and different disciplines to deliver multi-faceted solutions to biomedical, climate, energy, and transportation challenges, so too the stakeholders, spaces, and programming strategies must evolve. Blair Archambeau illustrates how space plans and programming are changing at University of Chicago in support of novel thematic teams, diverse users, high performance spaces, and equipment. She examines new project guidelines, program targets, and priorities aimed at ensuring the growth and relevance of engineering programs for the next 5- to 10-years and beyond.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 3:45PM - 4:10PM | Salon C Ballroom |
Rutgers’ HELIX: A new ecosystem for research innovation, commercialization, and education
Universities cannot drive innovation alone, and future-facing innovation initiatives must include facilities and spaces for entrepreneurs, start-ups, spin-offs, and education and healthcare partners. Dave Schulz and Laura Berman profile how the HELIX building re-examines the role of a university in a host city by moving education and research functions off-campus, locating in a new building downtown, and intertwining students, researchers, and physician scientists with private industry and start-ups. They scope out criteria for when off-campus is the right answer, new planning concepts for collaboration, design concepts that integrate multipurpose use and adaptability, and the novel opportunities created.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 4:15PM - 4:40PM | Salon C Ballroom |
Planning for STEM development: Pedagogy and program analysis for Materials Science, Biology and more
NextGenCT, a 10-year, $1.5 billion STEM-centered development program is shaping the master plan and space needs assessment for the University of Connecticut, and here you will see how capital projects are evolving in response, with space configurations and flexible solutions that reflect changing pedagogy and research needs. Sandra Shea-Crabb and Tom Haskell demonstrate how campus science programs have been elevated by reconstructing existing facilities and building a new high-tech center for Materials Science, and the benefits of interweaving these projects to create a dynamic new Science Quad for the University.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 9:15AM - 9:40AM | Salon C Ballroom |
Robotics + advanced manufacturing programs: Expanding the lead with new state-of-the-art space
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is expanding its robotics and manufacturing capabilities with the construction of a new facility that will enhance CMU's position as a leader in robotics research and development, fostering innovation and collaboration. Jennifer McDowell and Philip Lehman enumerate the key desired capabilities for the new space to provide state-of-the-art resources for students, researchers, and industry partners, enabling advancements in autonomous systems, machine learning, and human-robot interaction. They provide rationales for reconfigurable high bays; testing facilities, a unique large-footprint outdoor testing area; flexible spaces that address robotics systems at different scales; and pre-incubator space for the next generation of CMU-affiliated robotics and manufacturing companies.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 9:45AM - 10:10AM | Salon C Ballroom |
Town Hall Knowledge Roundup
This end-of-day session is where key ideas, new developments, and findings that have been revealed over the course of the entire two-day conference (including sessions you may have missed) get clarified, expanded upon, and affirmed or debated. This is also the opportunity to get answers from industry leaders and the entire audience to specific questions on key and challenging issues.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 2:55PM - 3:40PM | Salon C Ballroom |
Concurrent Forum Sessions
(Pre-selection is not required.)
Future research lab environments: Next-level adaptability, flexibility, and modularity
Labs of the future will demand highly versatile and fully integrated scientific and engineering research platforms – and the new space will need to be stacked with a variety of converging, constantly evolving, and at times incompatible research activities. In this session, James Blount and Ben Finch promote a new flexible space planning paradigm for the integrated, multidisciplinary, "team-centric" approach to scientific and engineering research that supports a common purpose. They identify novel processes and emerging technologies to consider; including scientific instrumentation, equipment, customized apparatus, and tools developed to better support the team-based converging research.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 11:10AM - 12:05PM | Room 406 (left side foyer) |
Tuesday, October 3rd 1:45PM - 2:40PM | Room 406 (left side foyer) |
Adaptive reuse for STEM buildings: Tools and strategies to transform older buildings
Adaptive reuse represents a strategic opportunity to leverage existing buildings and upgrade space to modern teaching and educational standards, but there are obstacles to successful outcomes. In this presentation, leaders focus on a set of tools and decision points that can help guide the planning and design process including alignment of program and capacity, compliance with regulations, and achieving sustainability and environmental goals. They share a template for conducting condition assessments, recommend a methodology for marrying programs with an existing building, and demonstrate how to get more value from adaptive reuse than is often realized.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 11:10AM - 12:05PM | Room 408 (left side foyer) |
Tuesday, October 3rd 1:45PM - 2:40PM | Room 408 (left side foyer) |
Makerspace infrastructure, safety, and security: What you need to know
Makerspaces are on the rise in education facilities at all levels as hands-on training for arts and sciences is now considered an essential element for multidisciplinary learning – and these spaces pose a host of infrastructure, safety, and code challenges. Using a series of case studies, session leaders provide strategies for creating safe and successful, collaborative workspace for making, learning, investigating, and sharing that use a variety of high-tech to low-tech tools. They address metal and woodworking, three-D printing and additive manufacturing, spray painting, laser cutting, and other key processes.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 11:10AM - 12:05PM | Room 410 (left side foyer) |
Advanced research in digital future: A new benchmark for multidisciplinary research, collaboration, and adaptability
In this session, presenters deliver a case study of Franklin Antonio Hall, a new facility for the Jacob School of Engineering at the University of California San Diego focusing on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, smart grids, and drones. They illustrate the programming and design of approximately 11 research collaboration laboratories (co-laboratories), faculty offices, student workstations, a high-bay lab, classrooms and executive education facilities, a lecture hall, and public spaces. They detail how the building serves as a living laboratory for advanced research in critical areas related to the digital future and is designed to foster interactions among and across the research teams, co-laboratories, and strategic industry partners.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 1:10PM - 2:05PM | Room 406 (left side foyer) |
Tuesday, October 3rd 11:45AM - 12:40PM | Room 406 (left side foyer) |
A revolutionary new tool for real-time, twenty-dimensional scenario planning for STEM buildings
Planning new STEM buildings is like playing 20-dimensional chess – and your next move will impact your campus for decades to come. Come to this session and learn how to predict the outcome of many options simultaneously. In this session, presenters demonstrate a new tool that considers risk, cost, headcount, allocations, program backfill, departmental objectives, timing, and campus utilities. They illustrate how this new methodology allows owners to test, visualize, and evaluate space scenarios (and more) in real time with powerful dashboard information. They detail custom-tailored models that show existing and future building programs, and phased deployments of lab and non-lab space in new and repurposed buildings.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 1:10PM - 2:05PM | Room 408 (left side foyer) |
Design innovations in health science buildings: New milestones for simulation, education, and research
A shortage of healthcare professionals, a renewed focus on competency-based learning, and an emphasis on fast-tracked research is underscoring the need for advanced facilities that support specialized health sciences. This session explores planning, architecture, engineering, and operational considerations for a variety of specialized health science typologies including interprofessional healthcare simulation, pharmacy education, public health research, and veterinary medical education. Session leaders examine innovative designs for unique pedagogy, process-flow sensitivity, and cost-conscious efficiency. They identify tactics for engineering systems and energy-focused design, and explore a series of strategies for biosecurity, clinical-crossover, and accreditation compliance
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 1:10PM - 2:05PM | Room 410 (left side foyer) |
Latest trends and metrics for next-gen STEM Facilities: Collaborative, student-centered, cross-disciplinary
Colleges and Universities across the country are competing for STEM-focused students and faculty, and critical to these efforts are cross-discipline convergence, student centered experiential learning, collaboration, and extended learning opportunities. In this session, the RFD team presents emerging trends, planning solutions, and benchmarking studies for next generation STEM facilities, including design considerations for post-pandemic learning environments. They outline what key decisions to make and pitfalls to avoid to best leverage complex systems inherent to laboratory focused facilities, and present examples from dozens of recently completed and 'on-the-boards' projects from across the U.S.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 2:20PM - 3:15PM | Room 406 (left side foyer) |
Tuesday, October 3rd 11:45AM - 12:40PM | Room 408 (left side foyer) |
Construction cost forecast and timing decisions for science and engineering capital projects
What should owners budget for cost escalation in the post-pandemic economy? What are effective ways to procure projects in a post-pandemic market? Mounting pressure on construction costs will impact all research projects on the drawing boards and in the pipeline. Attend this session to see new pathways to better pricing and more accurate budget figures. The Vermeulens team delivers construction cost forecasts based on economic conditions, commodity prices, and cost data as the pandemic-induced recession comes to an end. They profile what organizations are doing to develop bid and procurement strategies that strategically minimize exposure to construction escalation.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 2:20PM - 3:15PM | Room 408 (left side foyer) |
Tuesday, October 3rd 10:35AM - 11:30AM | Room 406 (left side foyer) |
Reducing embodied carbon through renovation and adaptation of existing buildings
As universities make decisions to renovate or build new, an approach that prioritizes embodied carbon impact, future user needs, and fiscal responsibility is key to achieving triple bottom line outcomes. In this session, presenters chart a strategic approach to renovating existing buildings that reduces waste and emissions associated with new construction. They demonstrate how adaptive reuse can celebrate the building's unique character and history while meeting contemporary needs of STEM teaching and research. They illustrate flexibility features with easily reconfigurable spaces and modular/prefabricated elements, and energy reduction techniques including energy-efficient lighting, HVAC systems, and automation.
Occurs | Location |
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Monday, October 2nd 2:20PM - 3:15PM | Room 410 (left side foyer) |
Storytelling in spaces: Designs and tools to engage stakeholders and reinforce program goals
Academic leadership is taking a long hard look at what drives the decisions of stakeholders beyond just the paycheck or the degree. How does faculty, student, and industry experience in your facility factor into the bigger picture of program success, satisfaction, retention, and engagement? John Roberson and Grace Johnson challenge session participants to consider “What story is your facility telling the people who are pivotal to your high-priority initiatives?” They guide the group through a step-by-step experience design exercise on how to communicate key values in your space in a way that moves your donors, students, and faculty and that evokes them to action, creating an emotional connection with your institution.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 8:05AM - 9:00AM | Room 406 (left side foyer) |
Innovation Ecodistricts: Reimagining interdisciplinary academic-industry collaboration
Interdisciplinary Research. Constructive Collisions. Collaboration. We have all heard these buzzwords before but what does this truly mean when applied to new state-of-the-art laboratory research buildings, and how can this model drive greater innovation and discovery for both academia and industry? Session leaders call upon two case studies to demonstrate how programmatic drivers can shape planning and spur both collaboration and efficiency in academic and industry research environments. They identify how complex partnerships (academia and industry) encourage innovation and research and contribute to behavioral changes and communal interaction fostering collaborative work environments.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 8:05AM - 9:00AM | Room 408 (left side foyer) |
Planning a STEM workhorse building: A case study of the Towson University Science Complex
Demand for research and STEM education space is rising across all disciplines, and this session sets out to demonstrate the planning and design processes used to incorporate the full menu of space types for research and teaching in one building. Session leaders demonstrate the methodology used to integrate a vivarium, insectarium, controlled environment rooms, planetarium, rooftop observatory, greenhouse, cleanrooms, an autopsy suite, lecture rooms, classrooms, science on display, event space, and a collaboration atrium in a single best-in-class building – the Towson University Science Complex – to serve in the fields of biology, physics, astronomy, geosciences, chemistry, and environmental sciences.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 8:05AM - 9:00AM | Room 410 (left side foyer) |
Programming and planning options and strategies for collaborative STEM buildings
This presentation contrasts two different programmatic strategies for managing growth and renewal in academic STEM institutions: 1) a multidisciplinary teaching and research building created to co-locate multiple departments, built around the idea of shared core facilities, and 2) a building where the teaching spaces of multiple departments were pulled out of existing buildings to create a vibrant student learning hub, and allow research to expand in backfill space. They demonstrate how each approach goes beyond satisfying functional needs to develop teaching and research communities, and align program with mission to reflect and enhance an institution's identity.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 10:35AM - 11:30AM | Room 408 (left side foyer) |
Hybrid STEM buildings: Meeting the demands of program convergence and intersection of disciplines
The organization of campuses into "schools" by discipline is disappearing as institutions respond to the increasing success of cross-disciplinary discovery and the convergence of scientific disciplines. In this session, Jenifer Grafton and Gabriel Hohag demonstrate new planning and design processes for hybrid buildings that elevate the convergence concept. They illustrate the collocating of science and engineering programs to intentionally create an intersection of disciplines and break down traditional academic silos. They explore how to integrate multiple programs into a synergistic, inter-collaborative learning laboratory while offering a broad range of general use classrooms, lecture facilities, and student services.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 10:35AM - 11:30AM | Room 410 (left side foyer) |
Spaces that support the unique and varied needs of high-tech science and engineering programs
To keep up with the pace of scientific discovery and the formation of new science disciplines and space types, different approaches to STEM facility design must now be employed. In this session, Adam Denmark and Chris Vanneste explore the key drivers to enable a building's highest and best capabilities no matter how complex or ever-changing the program might be, including complex new spaces like the largest vacuum chamber of its kind. They demonstrate unique strategies for designing floor-to-floor heights, utility distribution, indoor/outdoor research areas, flexible lab benching, structure capacity and vibration, and engineering criteria.
Occurs | Location |
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Tuesday, October 3rd 11:45AM - 12:40PM | Room 410 (left side foyer) |