In February, North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NC A&T) opened its new Engineering Research & Innovation Complex (ERIC). After over three years of construction, the $90 million project will serve as a driver of research, innovation, and economic impact. A public, historically Black land-grant research university in Greensboro, N.C., NC A&T is the nation’s top producer of undergraduate-level engineering degrees for African Americans.
EYP—a design firm specializing in higher education, government, healthcare, and science and technology—steered the design of the open, airy, glass-paneled facility. The four-story, 130,000-square-foot space boasts state-of-the art features that provide the technology and amenities to help transfer knowledge from academia to industry and government. In addition to classrooms, conference rooms, and offices, ERIC includes wet and dry labs; biomechanical, cybersecurity, and systems engineering labs; and maker and fabrication spaces. ERIC also has modern learning spaces both indoors and outdoors.
ERIC will accommodate a growing number of students at NC A&T’s College of Engineering. Fostering creative collaboration across disciplines and within the community, ERIC will serve as an interdisciplinary and multifunctional center for academics, research, and community engagement that will help form a pipeline of STEM leaders. The complex also will help create new job opportunities while serving as a catalyst for short- and long-term economic growth and development throughout North Carolina.
“ERIC is a hot space for innovation where faculty, staff, and students form industry partnerships and apply speed-to-market principles with new projects, prototypes, and job opportunities that impact the community,” Dan Fields, EYP’s project executive principal, says in a statement.
Owner: North Carolina A&T State University
Design architect and architect of record: EYP
MEP engineer: RMF Engineering
Structural engineer: SKA
General contractor/construction manager: Balfour Beatty
Related Stories
Government Buildings | Apr 11, 2022
Milan’s new US Consulate celebrates Italian design
In Milan, Italy, the new U.S. Consulate General broke ground on April 6. Managed by Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), a U.S. government agency that directs overseas builds, the 10-acre campus will feature a new Consulate building, as well as the restoration of the site’s historic Liberty Building and reconstruction of a pavilion on the 80,000-square-foot parade ground.
Projects | Apr 6, 2022
Ryan Companies expands Chicago presence with new West Loop office
Ryan Companies US, Inc. (Ryan), a national leader in commercial real estate services, announces it has enhanced its Chicago presence with the opening of a new downtown office at 224 North Desplaines in the city’s West Loop neighborhood.
Projects | Apr 5, 2022
San Francisco Giants open new training facility in Phoenix
The new San Francisco Giants Player Development Center at Papago Park in Phoenix, Ariz., includes a first-of-its-kind space for Major League Baseball training facilities: an indoor half field.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 5, 2022
New Covenant House New York contains multiple services for youth in crisis
The new Covenant House New York, a crisis shelter for homeless youth in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, provides a temporary home and multiple services for young people.
Projects | Apr 1, 2022
University complex encourages exchange between academics and residents
In the small Danish city of Horsens, C.F. Møller Architects has created a university complex that unites higher education with urban life—creating synergies among students, staff, businesses, and residents
Projects | Mar 31, 2022
Tech school designed to prepare students for high-wage, high-skill careers
In Wesley Chapel, Fla., a half-hour north of Tampa, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation (KRAI) is “not going to look like anything you’ve ever seen before,” Kim Moore, assistant superintendent at Pasco County Schools, said in a statement.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 28, 2022
Singapore’s new Irwell Hill residences will be built around heritage rain trees
The recently unveiled design of Irwell Hill, twin 36-story residence towers, calls for the development to be situated among copious greenery including preserved heritage rain trees.
Projects | Mar 24, 2022
A Hollywood home for creatives
A Hollywood development will serve as a collaborative center for artists, students, and those in the entertainment industry.
Projects | Mar 22, 2022
Fast-growing Austin adds a $3 billion community
The nation’s fastest-growing large metro area is getting even bigger, with the addition of a $3 billion, 66-acre community.
Projects | Mar 22, 2022
AREA15 to open second location in Orlando, Florida
AREA15, an immersive and experiential art, entertainment, dining and retail center, recently announced that it will open its second location in Orlando, Florida, in 2024.