Richard D. Offerdahl ’65 Engineering Complex

North Dakota State University

Reflecting NDSU’s deep commitment to placing students and learning at the center of university life, the new Richard Offerdahl ’65 Engineering Complex will connect multiple existing buildings at the heart of campus to create an interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art home for the College of Engineering. By focusing the design on the concepts of simplicity, efficiency, and distinctiveness, the team envisioned dynamic, compelling spaces that put engineering on display. These transformational spaces, like the student-focused Engineering Commons, will help recruit and retain a diverse student body and faculty and staff to sustain the program into the future.

Building on ongoing master planning efforts dating back 10+ years, the project keeps sustainability and longevity at the forefront, maximizing space and budget by utilizing existing square footage to its best and highest purpose rather than building all new. A cornerstone of the project is the interdisciplinary Collaborative Design Studio– a shared makerspace where students from all degree programs will be able to work together on solutions to society’s evolving challenges. Students and visitors will also experience the new Precision Agriculture lab, structures lab, thermal systems lab, mechatronics lab, and more.

Project partners: Zerr Berg Architects, Heyer Engineering, McGough Construction, CMTA