Work is underway on the Interdisciplinary Science Building, a five-story academic facility at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. Designed by HoK Architects, the $120 million structure will span more than 110,000 square feet with state-of-the-art teaching and research labs. The project will include indoor and outdoor learning spaces, a large flexible event space called The Imaginarium, technology-driven classrooms, faculty workspaces, student lounges, and huddle spaces. The property is bounded by Quad Road to the south, Stone Street to the east, and Webster Road to the west.
The renderings preview an L-shaped massing clad in gray brick and an irregular grid of floor-to-ceiling windows, with a soaring photovoltaic canopy supported by what appear to be timber columns. A plaza and revamped green spaces will surround the structure.
The new Interdisciplinary Science Building at Montclair State University. Rendering courtesy of HoK Architects.
The new Interdisciplinary Science Building at Montclair State University. Rendering courtesy of HoK Architects.
The new Interdisciplinary Science Building at Montclair State University. Rendering courtesy of HoK Architects.
A groundbreaking ceremony attended by project leaders was held on July 21.
Image courtesy of Montclair State University.
The project will rise on the site of Webster Hall, a three-story dormitory pictured in the below Google Street View image looking north on Quad Road.
Webster Hall, circa September 2015. Image via Google Maps.
Funding for the project includes a $60 million capital facilities grant issued by the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. The facility will be engineered to LEED Silver standards and will implement sustainable elements including solar energy, a native rain garden and bioswale, and a dry stream bed in the landscaping.
The second and third floors will house high-performance teaching and research spaces for the chemistry and physics departments, and the fourth story will feature space for a partnering organization to provide hands-on learning experiences in collaboration with the surrounding community. A rooftop terrace will cap the structure and will offer views of the New York City skyline to the southeast.
The ground-up development is situated next to the Montclair State University NJ Transit station.
The Interdisciplinary Science Building is expected to open before the start of the 2028-2029 academic year.
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The photovoltaic canopy seems unnecessary. Surely, there are enough roof areas on campus to accommodate the solar panels. The canopy is so high that it will provide little shade or protection from rain. Hopefully, strong winds will not lift the panels.
..and this looks like a rendering of a site still under construction..
Under the previous President, Montclair had returned to its original campus roots of red-tile roof mission-style buildings. I guess the new president has changed that. The front looks great; the rest looks like a bland office building.