The continued growth at Stephen F. Austin State University and their commitment to enhancing their existing academic programs with a STEM Initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has resulted in a need for a new STEM building. The project is a recognizable landmark in the heart of the SFA campus. It includes departmental administrative offices and support space, a variety of collaborative classrooms, teaching/research laboratories, a significant maker space supported by a machine and wood shop and engineering lab, student spaces, a rooftop terrace equipped with telescopes, as well as the focal point of the building — a 52-foot dome planetarium.
Inherently student-centered, the building is designed to engage all students in a dynamic learning experience upon arriving at the site, with the building itself becoming a teaching tool, in addition to the various educational programs within.
The new development is further energized with the creation of an extensive science-themed landscaped STEM corridor which will link existing chemistry, math, and science buildings with the new STEM building.