The $59-million, 146,000-sq-ft Iowa State University Student Innovation Center was designed to be flexible. Unlike so many buildings on campus, the SIC was not defined by one college, user group or entity as the sole occupant. Rather, it is intended for collaboration and experimentation among students from programs across the university. 

The project is meant to emphasize ISU’s mission to be a hands-on learning institution through allocating room for practical and theoretical learning for all students, rather than merely space for faculty offices or classrooms.

Photo courtesy of IMEG Corp.

The SIC features areas for electronics, woodworking and textiles, 3D printing, a test kitchen and a store selling student-made products. Spaces were designed to be adaptable for any use. Offices, classrooms and conference rooms are situated alongside welding shops, a video-production studio and even a lunar rover testing room.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for architect KieranTimberlake and general contractor JE Dunn Construction was the SIC’s glass facade curtain wall and aluminum panel rainscreen. Eight design, commissioning, engineering and contracting firms from seven countries across three continents were brought in to collaborate just on this feature. The design eventually underwent testing in Miami for air and water penetration and thermal and structural performance. 

Photo courtesy of IMEG Corp.

The facility is seeking LEED Gold certification and is designed to meet ASHRAE 62.1 standards for indoor air quality while minimizing energy use.