STEM spaces are emerging as new campus epicenters

There is an exciting convergence occurring on college campuses across the nation. At the same moment, STEM fields are becoming more popular and in-demand due to labor growth, and the STEM spaces where students work, study, live, and play on campus are becoming incredibly synergistic.

This equates to STEM spaces emerging as new epicenters for campus life, where students can meet with friends, grab coffee, and hang out–even if they aren’t there for specific academic needs or research. There are numerous dynamic examples of this shift.

• Purdue University Northwest has opened a new Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building that unites the school’s College of Nursing and Department of Biology, incorporating cross-disciplinary skills labs adjacent to public spaces so all students can experience the innovative culture. Designed as not only a simulation and laboratory building, it is also the new front door for the campus and has become an aggregator of people and collaborative activity.
  
• Santa Monica College is shaping a new Math and Science Building to connect key departments previously scattered across campus. The project establishes an interdisciplinary STEM community and new campus gateway, all along a key pedestrian passage for all students. The building and its surrounding features will serve as a social and educational destination for all students.
  
• Towson University has opened a new science facility that houses all teaching, research, and administrative functions for multiple sciences and seeks to maximize integration between multidisciplinary teaching and research. A multi-story atrium with theater seating creates a must-visit hub for all university students within the building.