ArchNewsNow strikes beautiful design chords again. This time, a view of the future when schools of design and education come together:

Built specifically to obtain certification in environmental sustainability, Northwestern University’s Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center, designed by New York City-based Davis Brody Bond, is now the focal point of the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science’s initiatives in design education.

Made possible through a $10 million grant from Ford Motor Company, and significant gifts from Steelcase, Illinois Tool Works, John Deere Foundation, and 3M Foundation, among others, the $30 million, 80,000-square-foot facility supports a wide range of undergraduate design efforts, from the first year’s integrated design curriculum, to more specialized senior projects and annual competition entries.

The School of Engineering’s focus is to bridge the gap between engineering education and engineering practice through the integration of design into the curriculum, with hands-on project experience. The programming and design of the six-story building address the goal of eliminating traditional departmental boundaries and promoting collaboration and teamwork.

The design center, which opened in October 2005, includes a centralized student machine shop, rapid prototyping facilities, biomedical/chemical engineering labs, a mechatronics lab, a CAD/CAM lab, studio classrooms, design fabrication and assembly spaces, a lecture hall, an automobile testing section, project display areas, and a lounge/study space. Throughout the building there is the suggestion of flexibility to future changes, such as raised floors to easily access and upgrade IT systems, and demountable and movable partitions. Large, flexible workspaces and integrated shop, lab, classroom, and computer space for the engineering disciplines have replaced previously dedicated and specialized resources.

Team meeting rooms and study space support collaboration, interdisciplinary work, and an increasing reliance on information technology. The recently merged Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors, along with many graduate student offices, further encouraging interdisciplinary interaction.