Friend Center for Engineering Education 

Princeton University 

With the need to expand and modernize the engineering school facilities, Princeton University decided to construct a new state of the art engineering building that could serve many purposes and yet fit within the current campus environment and the university’s budget. The result is a building that evokes and yet contrasts with its neighbors to provide a new multi-dimensional learning facility for the engineers of tomorrow. 

 

The 3 story, 65,000-sf building includes classrooms, the engineering library, faculty offices, computer clusters and a lecture hall. To the extent possible the building was designed to expose structural elements and serve as a full-scale illustration of engineering principles.  Not a classic atrium, the structure floats within the architectural enclosure and features exposed moment frames, exposed structural frames, special connecting details and cantilevered staircases. 

 

Location

Princeton, NJ

 

Client  

Princeton University

 

Architect

Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

 

Awards

Platinum Award for Engineering Excellence, 2002

New York Association of Consulting Engineers (NYACE)

 

Honorable Mention, 2002

39th Annual New Jersey Concrete Awards