With so many students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees, universities across the country are delivering new facilities that connect students to state-of-the-art research equipment and collaboration opportunities with industry practitioners. The University of Connecticut (UConn) is at the leading edge of this national initiative, and Langan played an integral role in developing their new Innovation Partnership Building (IPB).

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the IPB will provide 115,000 SF of flexible laboratory, incubation, and office space, and offer faculty and students the opportunity to partner with private technology companies and researchers. The building topped out this past spring and will be the anchor to the 300-acre UConn Technology Park in Storrs, Connecticut, which is primarily undeveloped woodlands. Langan’s services on the IPB included site/civil and geotechnical engineering, landscape architecture, and surveying.

“As engineering professionals, we at Langan are thrilled to be involved with a project that promotes careers in STEM-related fields,” said Chris Cardany, Principal at Langan. “We value our longstanding relationship with the University, who retained our team to overcome unique site challenges and meet key goals associated with the IPB.”

One such objective was minimal disruption to the surrounding natural resources and environmentally-sensitive areas. To help accomplish this, Langan’s stormwater management design implemented a low-impact development approach that combined treatment practices in series. We also developed grading and landscape architectural designs that stepped the building into a hillside, which helped reduce views of the pavement areas from the roadway.

Another challenge was related to the facility’s imaging equipment, which is highly sensitive to varying levels of vibration. Langan’s geotechnical design included a combination of shallow foundations and drilled caissons terminating in bedrock to mitigate vibrations in the sections that will house the specialty equipment.