Designing engineering laboratory spaces that support flexible learning and research

Prairie View A&M University - Engineering Classroom and Research Building

Prairie View A&M University wanted to take their laboratory instruction and research pursuits to the next level and help create a new quad for the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering Complex. They reached out to our team of architects, interior designers, and lab planners to help.

The University’s vision for the new facility embraced a cross-disciplinary approach to research, and consensus-building played a key role in realizing this. We organized discovery workshops during the design phase by lab type instead of by department, which allowed our team to engage with and achieve a consensus from multiple departments simultaneously.

To further support the cross-disciplinary focus across civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering, we utilized modular planning principals for the labs. We maximized bench space in the wet labs with specialty alcoves for fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, and biofermentation. The computational labs contain flexible space for reconfigurable workstations. The inclusion of smart manufacturing, materials, and device and sensor labs support a hybrid of both wet and computation research planning.

The aptly named Engineering Classroom and Research Building (EnCARB) provides just that—much needed instructional and research laboratory space for the College of Engineering. It will help students learn and grow across many engineering disciplines in a future-focused learning environment.