To accommodate the expansion of the School of Engineering a new building, now called the Engineering Research Center (ERC) was built adjacent to the Barus & Holley complex. Housing cleanrooms, core research facilities, and high tech research labs, this building connects to Barus & Holley and is a resource for the entire campus. As part of the project, a new green space was created, completing a chain of open spaces along the primary east/west axis of the campus. Throughout the building, embedded in the walls and floors, are nine works of art by New York artist Spencer Finch. The art is the 10th commission through the University’s percent–for–initiative, managed by the Public Art Committee, through which 1 percent of the construction budget of all new buildings and major renovations on campus goes to artwork for the building or grounds. 

This project utilized Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). IPD is a contracting method where the owner (Brown University), architect, contractor, and subcontractors sign a multi–party agreement that fundamentally shifts both the risk and reward away from the individual parties onto the project as a whole. The project profits and contingencies are pooled together, so the entire team is motivated to truly collaborate throughout the delivery process. Construction was completed three months ahead of schedule and on budget.

This project was designed to achieve a LEED Gold rating from the USGBC.

Building the ERC

Interior of the ERC timelapse

Exterior of the ERC timelapse