Best Projects
Award of Merit Higher Education/Research Michigan State University STEM Teaching and Learning Facility
Photo courtesy Granger Construction
Michigan State University Stem Teaching and Learning Facility and Shaw Lane Power Plant Renovation and Classroom Addition
East Lansing, Michigan
Award of Merit
OWNER: Michigan State University
LEAD DESIGN FIRM: Ellenzweig
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: Granger Construction
ARCHITECT OF RECORD: Integrated Design Solutions
Adjacent to one of the largest college football stadiums in the U.S. and situated on a site of a decommissioned power plant, Michigan State University’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility faced a mountain of challenges.
Encompassing 120,000 sq ft of new construction with 40,000 sq ft of renovated space, MSU STEM is the first building in the state constructed with cross-laminated timber. The facility is built on the site of the old Shaw Lane Power Plant. The project highlights a blend of adaptive reuse with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
The team utilized the existing power plant as the central portion of the building, making large additions to the north and south sides. Completed in February 2021, the project allowed the university to consolidate several teaching labs and classrooms that had been spread across campus, creating a central area for STEM teaching and learning.
