Photo: alanblakely.com
GLMV Architecture Inc. designed the main Innovation Campus building at Wichita State University so it maintains architectural continuity with surrounding buildings and, at the same time, expresses its engineering and industrial research identity. The firm specified several types and colors of metal wall panels to achieve the project’s goals.
The building has a three-story central core and two-story wings on either side. Its height differentiates it from adjacent two-story buildings. Matt Cortez, president at GLMV Architecture, says, “That set it apart from a volume standpoint. The mix of masonry, metal and glass relates well to the rest of the campus, but the added perforated metal panels surrounding the entrance emphasize the building’s height and add a bit of visual drama.”
The Innovation Campus building has research facilities, makerspaces and engineering labs. It gives students access to centers and institutes. The university began developing Innovation Campus in 2012 by partnering with local industries. It is built on a former golf course and grew into a mixed-use development with tenants including Airbus and the National Institute for Aviation Research.
The interior is open and well-lit to provide space for mocked-up production lines. Importantly, the building houses a manufacturing line designed for easy reconfiguration. It is used to give visiting clients an idea of how the industrial internet-of-things could aid their assembly operations. Moreover, open spaces support occupant interaction.
To construct it, Mahaney Group fabricated and installed Petersen Aluminum Corp.’s 22-gauge steel PAC-CLAD Reveal panels in Graphite and, for perforated screening, 0.05-gauge aluminum 7.2 panels. For the lobby, Mahaney fabricated and installed Petersen’s 24-gauge flat sheets in Terra Cotta.
