The second phase of Ohio State’s Biomedical and Materials Engineering Complex project is a $94.3 million project that maximizes collaborative learning and research. It will be the home of first-year engineering courses, a makerspace, biomedical and advanced materials R&D, and engaging K-12 STEM programs.
The project includes the demolition of Watts Hall and renovates existing MacQuigg Hall. An addition will be constructed that will house research and teaching labs, collaboration spaces, offices, and classroom space. BMEC Phase 1, later renamed Mars G. Fontana Laboratories, opened in August 2020 and was a $59.1 million project that renovated the former Koffolt Lab and Fontana Lab to create additional research, classroom and office space. It houses the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Materials Sciences and Engineering.
When paired with the Mars G. Fontana Laboratories, the Biomedical and Materials Engineering Complex Phase 2 will create a single, unified facility to meet the research and teaching needs of the College of Engineering. Phase 2 adds innovative, high-performance teaching laboratories for Biomedical Engineering, Material Sciences Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as a new Dean’s suite, modern workplace environments for the College of Engineering Administration, faculty and post-doctoral offices, and study areas. Significant landscape improvements, including an entry plaza, an outdoor makerspace area, and an extended green space on the north side will be created as existing and new facilities are brought together.
This 124,000-SF facility serves as the new front door to engineering at Ohio State, uniting the fully renovated MacQuigg Hall with a new addition on the site of the former Watts Laboratory. Designed around the concept of “Engineering on Display,” the building supports Biomedical, Materials Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering through flexible teaching laboratories, research spaces, and makerspaces that foster interdisciplinary collaboration. A new entry plaza, outdoor makerspace, and expanded green space strengthen campus connectivity. DLR Group served as Lead Design Architect and Architect of Record.
