University of Minnesota’s civil engineering building will double as demonstration project

The 34,000-sf James I. Swenson Civil Engineering Building at the University of Minnesota Duluth will house offices and instructional and research laboratories to support a new bachelor of science degree the university added to its Civil Engineering Department. Chicago-based Ross Barney Architects is designing the facility to receive LEED Gold certification, which includes specifying locally sourced materials, low-VOC products, lighting controls, underfloor air distribution, a green roof, and native plantings.

The Civil Engineering Building is intended to highlight construction and site systems related to the field of study. Features include oversized scuppers (pictured) that collect water from the roof and transfer it to a large French drain on site and a precast concrete structural lab with installation materials left in place for learning.