University of Maine, Student Innovation Center

Orono, Maine

Firm

Oak Point Associates

Client

University of Maine at Orono

Area

5,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$1,342,000

Completion Date

09/2006

The Student Innovation Center opened its doors to students, staff and entrepreneurs as an incubator for knowledge-based business ventures, providing an environment that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship.
The center is situated on a hillside oak grove at the center of the campus. The site takes advantage of the best solar orientation and minimizes earthwork. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide views to the surrounding woodland, while creating a voluminous main entrance and “inspiration space” with year-round daylight.
The program includes an open-air team work space, private work rooms, a conference room, seminar room, offices and an inspiration space for chance encounters. The architect maximized the flexibility of interior spaces by placing program elements on a grid and by employing the use of etched-glass roll-up doors that enable the seminar room and conference space to be combined with the inspiration space for larger gatherings.
The center is built on the bedrock of sustainability. A LEED-registered building, it stands as an example of environmentally responsible design. Daylighting techniques, green materials and responsible construction practices were used to achieve this status.