STEM Center interior takes shape

The main elevator installation is underway, and the eye-catching "floating staircase" that will connect the first story with the third is nearly finished. Workers are installing exposed and color-coded pipes for sprinklers (red), plumbing (green) and mechanical (blue) to ensure functionality and teaching moments.

"The whole building is a science lab," said David Overmyer, Senior Project Manager for Shawmut Design and Construction, from the foot of the three-story building on Dec. 2.

Second- and third-story classrooms are taking shape; they will be outfitted with 75-inch monitors, closets with write-able glass and concealed shades for the large windows – which can be activated at the push of a button in the event of a lockdown emergency.

The construction team is also preparing to install sliding glass doors that are 12-feet tall on the exterior of the north-facing workshops and robotics area, a first step to sealing the building so that work on the internal drywall can begin. Workers have already created the shell of the 200-seat auditorium, which resides under the monumental staircase that provides outdoor seating and a grand entry to the structure's second floor.

Sustainability features are also beginning to appear: chill beams that rely on cool water to contribute to the air conditioning, low-consumption lighting, a roofing membrane that deflects the sun's rays, glass designed to keep heat and ultra-violet light out, and 150 feet of space for photovoltaic panels on the roof, which will also include a rooftop garden.

By January 2020, the building should be fully sealed as work will shift to parts of the quad between the STEM Center and the Visual Arts Building. The building remains on pace to open in the early months of 2020.