The Fascitelli Advanced Engineering Center is a prominent 190,000 square foot (17,765 square meters) facility located within the School of Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. As part of Ballinger’s strategic master plan for the university, five existing buildings were removed to make way for this new interdisciplinary teaching and research hub, positioned at the heart of the campus. This center embodies the core of the university’s transformative vision.
The building integrates various engineering disciplines into a single, interdisciplinary environment, effectively creating a new external campus. Serving as a bridge between the sciences and humanities, it establishes a distinctive identity for the School of Engineering. A striking external structural truss system removes the need for internal support columns, resulting in an open and continuous interior space.
The four-story truss structure spans 210 feet (64 meters) above the lower volumes, optimizing transparency and spatial flexibility across the campus. This elevated truss bridge not only serves functional needs but also connects the open public space below with the newly formed external campus area, offering a dynamic internal environment for both university members and industry collaborators.
The lower level houses transparent active learning laboratories, classrooms, and project studios arranged around a central public space. The upper research floor is an open, reconfigurable loft designed with interdisciplinary office clusters to encourage collaboration and integration across fields.
Between the building volumes lies an elevated outdoor plaza designed as a space for work and study. This plaza fosters an active learning environment, integrating engineering seamlessly into the campus experience. “On any afternoon, I would walk into the fourth floor and see hundreds of students sitting in groups, chatting and discussing projects,” said Dean Raymond Wright, highlighting the building’s vibrant appeal.
This building was designed to attract top educators, students, and industry partners. Besides establishing a unique campus identity and raising the visibility of the School of Engineering, it serves as a lively hub for interaction and innovation within the URI community. The facility has earned LEED Silver certification for its sustainable design.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Section Diagram
Project Information
Architect: Ballinger
Area: 190,000 ft²
Project Year: 2019
Photographers: James Ewing, Albert Vecherka
Manufacturers: DriDesign, Glen-Gery, UAM, Viracon
Lead Architect: Terry D. Steelman, FAIA
Structural Engineer: Angela Fante, PE
Mechanical Engineer: Ballinger, Bradford Crowley, PE
Project Architect: Brad Hubbard, RA, LEED AP
Designer: Zak Whiting
Lighting Design: The Lighting Practice
Cost Estimation: Faithful+Gould
General Contractor: Dimeo Construction Company
Landscape Architect: Carol R. Johnson Associates, Inc.
Civil Engineer: Gordon R. Archibald, Inc.
Location: South Kingstown, United States
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