Iowa State University, Howe Hall Engineering, Teaching and Research Complex

Iowa State University’s Engineering, Teaching and Research Complex is designed to tie together the College of Engineering and the Institute for Physical Research Technology. It consists of two three-story buildings connected by a skyway and a tunnel. The Research Complex houses offices, laboratories and specialized spaces for the department of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics and the Iowa Center for Emerging Technologies. It also provides offices and high-technology instructional spaces, including distance-learning facilities.
The facility has flexible planning modules that can be reconfigured to suit the needs of different departments. The walls are non-load-bearing, and mechanical and utility shafts are bundled and spaced to create an open-floor plate. Small offices can be transformed easily into large laboratories.
The plan consists of two linear functional blocks flanking transparent public spaces. A back-to-back configuration places offices on the building perimeter.
Specialty labs include the high-bay training floor, capable of housing large-scale aircraft components and mock-ups; low-speed aerodynamic labs; vibration, acoustics and haptic labs; and interdisciplinary design labs, in addition to a subsonic research tunnel and virtual-reality cave.

Additional Information