Tennessee Tech University Interdisciplinary Laboratory Science Commons

Bauer Askew Architecture – Design Architect
Upland Design Group – Architect of Record

Designed to respond to the intent of the TTU Campus Master Plan, the 164,000 square foot Laboratory Science building is the keynote structure of a new campus quadrangle. The building includes the university’s Chemistry department and related Biology laboratories. The program includes teaching labs for General Chemistry, Non-Stem Chemistry along with an Active Learning Lab on the main level for first year students. The upper levels include teaching and research labs for Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Physical Chemistry, BioChemistry | Forensics, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Quantitative | Analytical Chemistry as well as three other interdisciplinary science research areas: Earth Science | Climate Change, Physics- Low Level Counting and Environmental Science.

The complex also includes university classrooms with three seminar rooms, two 72 person classrooms, two 96- person classrooms, a 224 person lecture hall and a 296 person lecture hall. The larger lecture halls are combined in a separate building to facilitate independent operation for general university use.

The building spans the full width of its Stadium Avenue site extending from Eighth Street to Tenth Street. Two wings project eastward to shape this significant campus quad. Primary walkways border the north and south edge of the quadrangle culminating in 3 story tall dual atrium lobbies that house massive 3d sculptures – facilitated by the architect – representing the range of the scientific research within. The atria serve as internal breezeways to interconnect this quadrangle with a future quad on the west side of Stadium Avenue and apportion the building into three sections. The building’s focal point, an expansive colonnade and plaza, center between the atria and the pedestrian ways and opens onto the common lawn. The building’s design reflects the Georgian campus setting with a streamlined modernist finesse to create an impactful, lasting impression on the entire community.

A key element of the design of the interior of the building is to create “science on display”. This is accomplished by maximizing the transparency and views from the circulation spaces to engage the passerby with laboratory activities. In addition to inspirational artwork, including 12 commissioned one-of-a-kind mosaics, glass marker walls are located throughout the building with the intent of enhancing the workspace for study groups and allowing opportunities for out of class instruction thus creating the potential for scientific equations to adorn the walls of the building as living art.

Architecture, Interior Architecture, Artist Procurement, and Furnishing Selection services were provided by the design architect.