Dakota State University Beacom Institute of Technology

LOCATION:
Madison, SD

DETAILS:
31,301 sf new construction

SERVICES:
Architecture
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Interior Design
Mechanical Engineering
Planning
Programming
Project Management
Structural Engineering

The Beacom Institute of Technology is a landmark project for Dakota State University—consistently ranked among the country’s top universities for its computer science and cyber security programs. It opened in August 2017, offering 30 different classes with more than 800 students enrolled.

Every on-campus student will have opportunities to collaborate on projects, participate in classes and seminars, and attend special events within the two-story facility programmed and designed by TSP + SmithGroup. Its spaces include classrooms, collaboration spaces, a performance area, technology-focused labs, and offices. The Beacom Institute of Technology is a cutting-edge project not only because it houses technology-based academic programs but also for how it embeds sustainable design in virtually every site and building component.

Some of the most innovative features within the Beacom Institute of Technology are hidden just beneath the surface. To give students experience with real-world working environments, the north end of the second level was designed with an 8-inch, low-rise flooring system. Removable panels allow access to a portion of the 25.23 miles of data and cabling lines (and 22.73 miles of power wiring) that run throughout the building. At this location, the cabling feeds two large classrooms on either side of a glass-walled central-server simulation lab. This flooring method more typically is used for electrical and HVAC components, but data centers and other highly wired buildings increasingly are adapting the model. DSU’s students will graduate knowing how to install or service these systems in their new computer-hardware or -networking professions.