University of Minnesota Mechanical Engineering Building

This 1948 building, home to the Mechanical Engineering academic department, required a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade to meet current and future needs. The scope of work for the Infrastructure Remodel project included new HVAC systems; updated plumbing, lighting, and electrical systems; restoration of the historic exterior; and building modifications to meet current building codes and ADA/accessibility requirements, including the addition of a new elevator.

As a follow-up to the Infrastructure Remodel, the Lab Renovations project renovated 60,000 square feet of laboratory and support space in the building’s North Wing. The design addressed program space and functional deficiencies with the goal of positioning the department to effectively support higher education research and teaching laboratories into the future.

Provisions for new teaching labs, graduate student offices, and student study spaces were a major focus of the design, resulting in a thirty percent increase in dedicated teaching lab and student space. The new layout of laboratory, office, and student spaces maximized the preferred adjacencies, promoted interaction for students and staff, dramatically improved the flexibility of the research and teaching lab layouts, and provided modern building services for all users.