Johnson C. Smith Universty, located in the heart of Charlotte, NC, was faced with a problem.
How were they going to prepare students for the competitive global marketplace in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related careers?

By creating a $150 million campaign, seeking funds from public and private sources, JCSU has begun their campus facility upgrades, constructing new academic and student-centered buildings - the new Science Center being one of them.

The new Science Center is a literal reflection in concrete of JCSU's commitement to preparing the students for STEM-related careers. This new facility will house four of six newly created education centers, including The Center for Renewable Energy, Center for Medical Informatics, Center for Analytics and The Center for Bioinformatics.

Along with many state-of-the-art aspects, the Science Center is designed to meet LEED Silver cerfitication standards - with sustainable materials and methods. Some of these include using a high-efficiency energy plant and chilled beam cooling system for classrooms and offices.

New England Lab will be working alongside Messer Construction to supply vertical grain match maple casework, student benches to encourage community, and fume hoods.

With constuction already begun (2012), this impressive 62,000 square-foot facility intends to open in 2014. Once complete, the center hopes to increase enrollment by 2016.