WMU’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences has moved to its new home at the heart of the University’s Parkview Campus. The 343,000-square-foot facility was completed this summer after two years of construction. The $72.5 million high-tech academic building is the University’s largest.

The new building features two, two-story brick wings—each more than 600 feet long—joined by a central glass hub. The entire engineering complex, which includes two attached parking ramps, a Paper Coating Pilot Plant that was opened in 2002 and an energy resource center, is a major component to the Parkview Campus. The new 265-acre campus, which is three miles south of WMU’s main Kalamazoo campus, also includes a Business Technology and Research Park. That park has been designated a Michigan SmartZone and is home to 10 companies in the life sciences, information technology and advanced engineering.

The new facility includes seven computer teaching labs, 75 research and teaching laboratories, and a number of flexible classroom and lecture spaces. Many features are aimed specifically at student study and research needs, including study lounges and breakout rooms where small groups can work together on engineering projects. The facility is a wireless computing environment, but it also includes extensive hard wiring for high-end computing needs and interactive instruction.