Arizona State University Breaks Ground on ISTB12

Arizona State University broke ground in December of 2023 on Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 (ISTB12). Located on the Polytechnic campus in Mesa, the $185 million project will provide the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering with a centralized home for the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks. Offering 128,828 programmable square feet, the three-story, 173,194-gsf facility will accommodate specialized labs for research programs in additive manufacturing, robotics, automation, energy technologies, semiconductor production, and cyber manufacturing and operations. A structural grid system will support the positioning and relocation of heavy equipment to address the needs of individual investigators while ensuring future flexibility.

This dynamic hub for experiential education will also include classrooms, active learning venues, teaching labs, meeting rooms, and areas for projects with industry partners. Linking the university’s existing campus with a planned innovation district, the U-shaped development will be connected by a collaborative bridge to Terrapin Mall, a main pedestrian thoroughfare. The solar-ready building is targeting LEED Silver certification and will feature a sophisticated envelope with low-E glazing and calibrated shading elements.

As well as performing integrated design services, SmithGroup is acting as lab planner, MEP engineer, and landscape architect. McCarthy Building Companies is the design-build contractor for the project with WOODPATEL as civil engineer, PK Associates as structural engineer, and Speedie & Associates as geotechnical & environmental engineer. Completion is anticipated in November of 2025.