According to the Colorado School of Mines, construction on the long-awaited Labriola Innovation Hub, on the Colorado School of Mines campus, began last month. The hub is projected to open by January 2023.
The 37,000-square-foot building, located near 13th and Maple streets, is the state-of-the-art centerpiece of the Mines Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem and the Labriola Innovation Complex. It was made possible by a generous lead gift from Frank ’52 and Mary Labriola of Phoenix, Arizona.
The new building is designed by OZ Architecture and will be LEED Gold certified. Saunders Construction is currently mobilized and will begin site utility work soon.
Mines stands apart among engineering and applied science universities because of its dedication to hands-on learning. The $18.6 million building doubles down on that commitment with spaces that magnify interdisciplinary teamwork and creativity, including maker spaces, project team spaces, creativity and collaboration spaces and design project classrooms. It will also be home for project-based competition teams, like the American Society of Civil Engineers concrete canoe, and maker- and hacker-oriented clubs.
The creation-focused Labriola Innovation Hub is the second building in the university’s three-legged E&I ecosystem to break ground. McNeil Hall, with a focus on learning, opened in Fall 2020. The Beck Venter Center, with a focus on launching, should begin construction in spring 2022.
Rendering courtesy of OZ Architecture
