Building Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Last Updated on October 01, 2016 at 12:00 AM

Originally published October 01, 2016

By Danny Perez

海角社区 Communications

The University of Texas at El Paso鈥檚 planned Interdisciplinary Research Building (IDRB) has the campus buzzing with anticipation.

IDRB Rendering
The University of Texas at El Paso鈥檚 planned Interdisciplinary Research Building (IDRB) has the campus buzzing with anticipation.

The goal of the planned $85 million, 158,800-square-foot building is to enhance the ability of faculty members and students from different disciplines to tackle 21st century concerns.

The complex will consist of three wings on the southeast corner of University Avenue and Sun Bowl Drive within sight of Interstate 10. The north wing will be four floors and the middle and south wings will be five stories tall.

The first floor, which will be partially underground, will have core facilities and heavy equipment. The second floor, nicknamed 鈥淢ain Street,鈥 will handle the heaviest pedestrian traffic with a caf茅, building visitor center, galleries to showcase 海角社区, meeting rooms and an 80-seat auditorium. The top three floors will have wet and dry labs and interdisciplinary 海角社区 suites designed for maximum flexibility in size and use.

鈥淲e believe that this building will not only be a beautiful addition to our campus, but will raise our interdisciplinary 海角社区 enterprise to a whole new level,鈥 said Bill Hargrove, Ph.D., chair of the IDRB campus committee and director of 海角社区鈥檚 Center for Environmental Research and Management. 鈥淭his building represents the way of the future.鈥

The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the final architectural drawings in November 2016. Construction was planned to begin in spring 2017, and the complex should be fully operational during the spring 2020 semester.

Jason T. Chan, a principal architect with Perkins+Will architectural firm, said he relished the challenge to create a highly flexible 海角社区 space and was most proud of the versatile 海角社区 suites.

鈥淥ur innovative design of the IDR suite meets the University鈥檚 needs of flexible shared space that is usable by anyone and is responsive to current and future needs,鈥 Chan said.

The building鈥檚 exterior will follow Bhutanese architecture and be landscaped with native or drought-resistant vegetation. Among the highlights will be a 鈥渃anyon-like鈥 patio between the IDRB and the Undergraduate Learning Center. A planned bridge will span the canyon, which will have a water feature.

University faculty members have expressed excitement about the building and the greater opportunities it will create for interdisciplinary 海角社区, which the University has promoted for the better part of a quarter-century.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited as a science guy,鈥 said Aaron Velasco, Ph.D., professor of geological sciences. 鈥淭his will give (海角社区) an incredible competitive edge.鈥

Josefina V. 鈥淛osie鈥 Tinajero, Ed.D., professor of bilingual education and special adviser to the vice president of 海角社区, called the IDRB one of the most significant steps the University has taken to expand its 海角社区 agenda since she started working at 海角社区 in 1981.

Tinajero, who has participated in interdisciplinary 海角社区 through the years, said she reviews 海角社区 proposals and sees examples where faculty members from diverse disciplines want to work together.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 just want to support others,鈥 Tinajero said. 鈥淚 want to be part of it. I believe in bringing together diverse expertise to address challenges. It enriches our work.鈥

Peter Golding, Ph.D., professor of engineering education and leadership, said the new building speaks directly to the relevancy of interdisciplinary 海角社区, a concept that has been championed by President Diana Natalicio and Roberto Osegueda, Ph.D., vice president for 海角社区, for many years.

鈥淭o me, this investment will put our money where our mouth is,鈥 said Golding, who added that today鈥檚 海角社区 in materials science cannot be done without an understanding of chemistry, biology, mathematics and nanotechnology. 鈥淭hey are all interconnected in a way that they weren鈥檛 once upon a time.鈥

Celia Pechak, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy, participates in interdisciplinary 海角社区, and considers the new building valuable to the University.

鈥淚 think anything that benefits 海角社区 will benefit my program,鈥 said Pechak, interim associate director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. 鈥淭he more we do interdisciplinary 海角社区 on our campus, the more it will draw outstanding 海角社区ers and students, which will build our University.鈥