Education

Bowen Center Opens at JWU

Mike Cohea, ,

The John J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation

Providence, RI – Students, faculty, and administrators at Johnson & Wales University celebrated the fall semester opening of The John J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation, a new science and engineering building that expands the university’s longtime commitment to interdisciplinary and experiential learning. With three floors of adaptable learning and group study spaces, the 71,000sf building is designed as a hub for collaboration.

Designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge in association with executive architect Edward Rowse Architects Inc. of East Providence, R.I., the center is home to the School of Engineering & Design and the new biology program of the College of Arts & Sciences.

The design creates a central hub on campus where students and faculty come together and benefit from a variety of spaces to meet, collaborate on projects, and use the technology resources for hands-on learning.

Biology, anatomy, physics, physiology, and chemistry labs in the three-story building are designed to support JWU’s fast-growing science curriculum. These spaces will be used by students from multiple disciplines including arts and sciences and the university’s physician assistant graduate program, the first of its kind in the state.

One solution developed by the design team is classroom and team learning spaces built to allow for easy reconfiguration throughout the day. Classrooms and labs are designed to host all styles of instruction and learning methods. The engineering labs, where students receive hands-on instruction in computer programming, robotics, computer-aided design, and related technology courses, are designed with equipment located on the perimeter of the room. Movable work tables are placed in the center of the room, and open ceilings provide easy access to the electrical, mechanical, and data infrastructure. Break-out spaces for individual and team projects are mingled with the classrooms and labs.

Another flexibility solution is the building’s readiness to add more labs without significant cost and rework due to the open ductwork, movable casework, and strategically placed support infrastructure. The building also offers a large courtyard that welcomes the public and JWU students from all academic majors to meet and learn together.

Facing the street, and featuring wide windows with display areas allowing pedestrians to see in, is an active Engineering Innovation Lab. This maker space, in use day and night, will offer 3D printers, laser cutters, assembly tools, and computer workstations. The large first-floor lobby is designed to double as a gallery to showcase project work built in the Innovation Lab. The lobby is also designed to accommodate events and social gatherings including lectures, conferences, and symposiums.

The engineering and science building is expected to earn LEED certification for sustainable design from the U.S. Green Building Council.

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University Chancellor John J. Bowen called the new academic building an affirmation of the University’s commitment to providing the best education possible for students from across the globe. “Our team has worked infinitely hard to transform Johnson & Wales University into the pioneering educational institution it is today,” said Chancellor Bowen. “This building signifies the investments we make to ensure that our students have the best learning environments. I am humbled that the Board of Trustees chose to name this building in my honor because I consider it a true privilege to work for this great university.”

According to ARC Principal-in-Charge Robert Quigley AIA, a guiding principle for the University and the design team was to provide the openness and flexibility needed to foster a healthy integration of disciplines. “The University vision is to expand learning opportunities in technology, academic science and engineering, and to support this expansion with flexible spaces that can be easily adapted to meet changing needs and program priorities,” he said. “We wanted the design to efficiently respond to future curriculum needs without the disruption or capital expense of a typical renovation.”

“The idea is to encourage a healthy interaction and overlap among disciplines,” said ARC’s Mark Dolny AIA, project manager. “As you move through the building, you will see a graphic design student and a computer engineer working on a project together. This kind of creative overlap is made possible when these diverse disciplines are strategically located in the same building.”

The engineering and science building is the first new facility built on reclaimed land made available by the relocation of a 1950s-era interstate highway which split the city’s historic Jewelry District into two unconnected neighborhoods. The relocation of I-195 opens up approximately 40 acres between downtown Providence and the Jewelry District.