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Architects: Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects
- Area: 85000 m²
- Year: 2006
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Photographs:Timothy Hursley
Text description provided by the architects. The Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center is the first academic building of a new automotive engineering and research campus for Clemson University. Research conducted at the Graduate Engineering Center focuses on systems integration with concentrations in Lightweight Design, Manufacturing, and Electronics with a chaired professorship for each. The specific program elements associated with each element concentration are clustered around the chaired professor’s suite of offices and research labs. Because a multitude of individuals will be working on projects related to or within the research coordinated by these chairs, there are a variety of flexible spaces. While each individual pursues his or her own work, there is collaboration, room for informal discussion, and a sense of community. A component of the research sector is the introduction of industry, both in the presence of individuals from the various fields as well as support of certain research. The results of the research being performed at the center benefit both the University and industry.
Project Team: Mack Scogin with Merrill Elam, David Yocum, Jennifer Pindyck, Barnum Tiller, Claudia Montesinos, Jennifer Hurst, John Trefry, Stephen Trimble, Brian Bell, Minh Man Nguyen, Reed Simonds, Margaret Fletcher
Guidelines that served as the foundation for the development of the Graduate Engineering Center included:
satisfy the functional requirements of the program of research and the program of teaching
empower the individual student
sponsor both specialized and collective research
satisfy the aspirations of the partnership between industry, academia, and the public
encourage collaboration
be emblematic and incorporate a unique integration of the automobile
be environmentally responsible and sustainable
have a defined plan for growth and expansion
The teaching component of the Graduate Engineering Center curriculum centers on mechanical engineering. The school is comprised of Masters Degree, Post-Doctoral, and Doctoral students as well as faculty members, visiting faculty, partners, and assistant faculty. The Center also houses complimentary administrative functions. The school anticipates an initial annual enrollment of forty graduate students with the expectation of growth to over one hundred students per year.
The third component of the building is the public function which includes classrooms, auditorium, café, library, and lobby/display spaces. While several portions of the building may not be physically accessible, many are visually accessible encouraging a broader exchange with the general public.
