Burke Research and Economic Development Center

Penn State Behrend

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CLIENT GOALS

The University needed additional classroom space to meet enrollment increases, particularly for the Business and Engineering Disciplines.  There were two objectives to the new building; design classrooms to optimize fluctuating class sizes and promote collaboration between the Black School of Business and the School of Engineering.  Northwest Pennsylvania is a hotbed of plastics manufacturing and the University wished to enhance the interaction between the manufacturers and the plastics engineering department.  Crucial to the site was minimizing tree removal to create a “building in the woods”.

SOLUTIONS

The REDC project was designed as the “Signature” building on the Behrend Campus. Situated on a prominent hillside the building increased campus classroom and laboratory space by fifty percent.  Classrooms of varying size were designed to accommodate fluctuations in class size and increase utilization.  The program includes state-of-the-art facilities for the School of Engineering & Engineering Technology and the School of Business including classrooms, faculty offices, teaching labs, research labs & support spaces. The building layout facilitates and enhances the interaction and collaboration desired between the two schools, particularly with the use of a cyber café at the intersection of the two schools.

RESULTS

The academic programs housed within have exceeded expectations for continued prominence and growth.  The collaboration that occurs within the building and cyber café between students and faculty is robust.