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The 21st Century Science Initiative was Nebraska Wesleyan University’s title for a phased capital project aimed at creating and improving learning spaces supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Our planners and designers engaged with the university community to assess and quantify needs, goals and requirements to further implement the planning recommendations of the university’s Master Plan. This effort included determining the best location for a proposed new three-story science building, the Duane W. Acklie Hall of Science, and recommendations and visioning for best utilization of the university’s existing science facility.
Our design solution for the new facility accomplishes a primary university goal: to move science education boldly forward. By proposing the new building rest partially in an existing public right-of-way, we challenged many preconceived ideas about the project and the necessary expansion of the campus outside its traditional boundaries while also announcing, advancing and promoting the university’s commitment to the importance of STEM education at their institution for the next century.
By closing a street we attached the new building to the campus and gained real estate for a new quad. As design architects for the project we met with all of the faculties and developed a building for contemporary teaching and teamwork for STEM projects.
Our assignment was to design the building through the design development phase and then hand it off to a local architect for construction drawings and construction administration.
This project was contracted to and completed by Celli-Flynn Brennan, which was acquired by Buchart Horn Architects in 2018.