Engineering Center Renovation

The iconic mid-century Engineering Center complex at CU Boulder has historically adapted to program growth and changing paradigms in higher education through piecemeal remodel projects unreflective of the school’s dynamic curriculum. AMD Architects was tasked with assessing the entire 650,000 SF facility to develop a program plan and conceptual design to accommodate modern labs, offices, and teaching spaces while creating replicable design strategies for future renovation projects.

The transformative design approach reestablishes a connection to the exterior, capturing new daylight opportunities while fostering a collaborative interior environment that facilitates interdisciplinary interaction, learning, and research. Labs are reorganized into efficient, flexible spaces built on a contemporary, rigorous lab module. A 72-seat active learning classroom facilitates a new teaching model for CU’s engineering programs. Offices for faculty, post docs and graduate research assistants support the productivity and efficiency of the research labs.

While respecting the existing architecture and history, the program plan and renovation reimagine the buildings’ academic and collaborative environments to facilitate informal connections, provide access to state-of-the-art technology, and reinforce connections to the broader campus community and the outdoors.