The E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering has a gravity-defying form: The seven-story building’s solid upper floors emerge above the lighter, mostly glass base. Designed by EYP, the project, which took three years to construct, recently had its official grand opening.
Exterior materials include dichroic glass and ironspot brick that change color throughout the day depending on sunlight and weather conditions. Both materials represent significant deviations from the traditional campus architectural language. At night, façade lighting allows the building to stand out as a beacon for the Clark School of Engineering.
Inside, the 60,000 sf structure houses more than 20 laboratories. The non-traditional interior is designed to be flexible with “pods” that can be shifted into multiple arrangements depending on group size or project scope. Activities in these spaces could include everything from classroom education to research to prototyping. Walls can be easily reconfigured, providing the university ease in adapting to new research demands.
“We designed a building that is unconventional in every way,” said Charles Kirby, Senior Principal, Academic Planning and Design, EYP. “Specialized research spaces concealed in the flexible ‘factory’ that float above the glass base reveal the undergraduate entrepreneurial spaces that are central to the Clark Engineering school’s mission.”
Prominent collaborative spaces—one of the hallmarks of the IDEA Factory’s design—offer bright, bold pops of color that help define space types while activating inspiration and creativity. Nicknamed the “IDEA Factory,” the building’s street level offers open views for onlookers to peer inside. On this level, undergraduates share tools in the Rapid Prototyping Lab, prepare for design competitions in the ALEx Garage innovation workspace, and work on next-generation apps in the Startup Shell, an incubator for student-run startups. The Shell already has generated more than 180 ventures valued at $100 million.
Building Team:
Owner: University of Maryland
Design architect: EYP
Architect of record: EYP
MEP engineer: EYP
Structural engineer: Hope Furrer Associates
General contractor/construction manager: Clark Construction (design-build delivery method)
Related Stories
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 17, 2013
DOE launches database on energy performance of 60,000 buildings
The Energy Department today launched a new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information.
| Jun 11, 2013
Building a better box: High-bay lab aims for net-zero [2013 Building Team Award winner]
Building Team cooperation and expertise help Georgia Tech create a LEED Platinum building for energy science.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 20, 2013
Jones Lang LaSalle: All U.S. real estate sectors to post gains in 2013—even retail
With healthier job growth numbers and construction volumes at near-historic lows, real estate experts at Jones Lang LaSalle see a rosy year for U.S. commercial construction.
| Apr 30, 2013
Tips for designing with fire rated glass - AIA/CES course
Kate Steel of Steel Consulting Services offers tips and advice for choosing the correct code-compliant glazing product for every fire-rated application. This BD+C University class is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
