Southeastern Louisiana University: Science and Technology Building

Location

Hammond, Louisiana

Owner

Southeastern Louisiana University

The new 69,000 s.f. building will house the new Engineering Technology program at Southeastern Louisiana University. The program consists of high bay laboratory spaces on the first floor, smaller labs, classrooms and computer labs on the second floor and finally faculty offices, research labs and the department suite on the third floor.

The site is located at the south entry to campus. This approach has historically been characterized as uneventful and less formal than the main north entry. The new building will fulfill the need to make it a more significant entrance. The iconic form of the lobby will address the campus proper while an experimental apparatus on the south side will address the vehicle/pedestrian approach.

This experimental apparatus will serve a dual purpose as being a super graphic billboard type announcement with the universities namesake on a perforated scrim. This scrim will veil an experimental roof deck at the third floor which is adjacent to the faculty research labs. The grid iron framework of the scrim will allow for flexible attachment of engineering experiments such as wind turbines, solar PV panels and various types of robotics.

The new building references the materials of the historic art deco campus but displays a contemporary aesthetic befitting its technological program.