UIC Computer Design Research and Learning Center celebrates grand opening

The University of Illinois Chicago recently celebrated the grand opening of the Computer Design Research and Learning Center, a new state-of-the-art computer science facility that will expand collaborative research and teaching capacity and unite a growing group of researchers and students in computer science, data science and engineering under one roof.

Designed by Seattle's LMN Architects with Chicago-based Booth Hansen serving as the architect of record, the new facility is a 135,000-square-foot building, organized around a five-story, light-filled atrium, that will provide much-needed research and learning spaces for the College of Engineering’s growing UIC Department of Computer Science, the academic home of approximately 2,100 undergraduate students.  

UIC’s cutting-edge research and innovation are showcased at the center, which features 16,000 square feet of classroom space, 21 faculty research labs and a 1,200-square-foot robotics lab. The new building is part of the UIC campus master plan and supported by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan through a $129.8 million allocation from the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and contributions from several donors.  

The facility, adjacent to UIC’s Memorial Grove and integrated with the existing Science and Engineering Labs East building, doubles the previous capacity of the department, which had faculty, staff and classes spread across four campus buildings.   

The first two floors of the building include classrooms, dedicated spaces for computer science students, rooms for tutoring and teaching assistant sessions and an undergraduate learning and community center for meeting, studying and socializing. The upper three levels support UIC’s research mission, housing faculty offices, graduate student workspaces and specialized labs arranged to foster collaboration and discovery. 

Other notable building amenities include a dry lab, open study spaces and a multipurpose event space. UIC is seeking LEED Gold certification for the center, which incorporates a major new geothermal system beneath Memorial Grove to assist sustainable heating and cooling.