Dunklau Center for Science, Math and Business Planning + Design

Concordia University, Nebraska, a private, coeducational institution of higher learning, received its largest donation in the university’s history to build the Dunklau Center for Science, Math and Business.

The building includes 58,000 square feet of new construction and 28,000 square feet of renovated space in the current science building for a combined total of 86,000 square feet.

The Dunklau Center for Science, Math and Business is home to Concordia’s biology, chemistry, physics and environmental science programs and the hub for computer science, math and business.

Additionally, the facility provides collaborative spaces for students and faculty to work together in flexible, adaptable environments. A nearly 1,000- square-foot “co-lab” extending above the campus quad is prominent, providing space for large- and small-group student projects and studies, classes, programs and meetings.

CRB provided lab planning, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-protection design with a focus on meeting the five goals the university set for the project:

• Provide a highly functional, efficient and modern space within budget
• Create inviting spaces that foster collaboration and socialization
• Incorporate 21st-century technology for innovative science, technology, engineering and math teaching
• Create a space to incorporate Concordia’s Lutheran identity
• Plan for flexible space and future growth of programs

The new labs created an innovative environment that supports multiple teaching approaches, including inquiry-based study, paired student learning and team learning all in the same space.

Designed to keep pace with enhanced teaching methods and to improve the students’ learning experiences, the upgraded laboratory invites students to learn and discover in a bright, quiet and comfortable space with views to the outdoors. Design features within the upgraded laboratory included:

• Maple laboratory casework
• Wireless access and audiovisual technology, with monitors strategically placed around the labs
• Lab stations, sinks and fume hoods that comply with regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Innovative storage areas within the lab
• Resilient floors designed to ease standing for long periods
• Collaborative workstations

The Dunklau Center for Science, Math and Business includes laboratory spaces for hands-on, real-world interactive learning for students:

• Four biology lab spaces (anatomy & physiology, biochemistry, ecology and gross anatomy with space for four cadavers)
• Three chemistry labs (two general chemistry, one organic chemistry)
• Two physics labs (mechanics and optics & electronics)
• Two computer science labs (one computer circuitry, one networking)
• Greenhouse

The Dunklau Center also provides student research spaces for long-term, advanced projects:

• Three biology research labs
• One chemistry research lab
• One physics research lab