An Engineer's Paradise

The Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation celebrates its grand opening to on-campus students

Photo Credit: Rikesh Mehta

Much has changed since Santa Clara students wandered the palm tree-shaded campus of Claradise two winters ago. For many, some aspects seem even unrecognizable.

Eva Kennar, a senior mechanical engineering student, is optimistic about the newest building on campus. The 270,000 square-foot Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation cost more than $300 million to construct and offers undergraduates numerous opportunities to design, create and innovate their ideas and projects. And, perhaps more importantly, it's a place to connect after the COVID-19 lockdown.

“I think it will really allow students to work together on campus again, which hasn’t happened for so long," Kennar said. "It’s going to get people excited about engaging with one another and learning through collaboration."

Located between the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the University Library, this space, complete with over 1,400 cross-functional classroom, teaching and research lab seats, offers students and professors the chance to partake in a collaborative learning environment. 

Unifying multiple departments and programs at Santa Clara, it also boasts the impressive figure of being one of the largest STEM facilities in the nation, according to Santa Clara’s website.

Designed and operated by the Zimmer Gunsul Frasca and the Research Facilities Design Architecture Group, the four-story facility offers a new vision for engineering and STEM learning—one that enables students to engage in a living lab experience. The state-of-the-art structure is equipped with flexible lab spaces, collaboration hubs, “innovation zones” and even a Latimer Energy lab for sustainable power. 

The differences between SCDI and the previous engineering complex, Bannan, are greater than an increase in space and reliable equipment. Electrical and computer engineering professor Shoba Krishnan says it comes down to the architecture of the building—and what opportunities it fosters.

“You walk into this building and the labs are fully on display. Student work is being showcased and research is right out in the open. It’s designed to inspire, to help people collaborate and create,” Krishnan states on the main Santa Clara Engineering website. 

SCDI has been under construction for nearly three and half years. While this may not seem like a long endeavor, given the size and intricate architectural layout of the structure, the project experienced many delays and setbacks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We wanted everything ready and finished by the time students arrived back on campus for the Sept. 20 class start date, but there [is] still last-minute fine-tuning that need to be done in order for things to look how they’re supposed to,” says Daniel Ignacio, the main building and operations manager of SCDI.

“The most important thing is that we can offer students, all students, regardless of major, a space where they can grow and learn and innovate, and I think we’ve done that with this project. I think we can all agree on that,”  he says. 

SCDI is unlike any space on campus, and with the equipment and resources it provides, Santa Clara hopes it will increase possibilities for future learning and ultimately strengthen the impact Santa Clara University has on STEM research as a whole among top-tier institutes across the country.  

To learn more about SCDI, or to take a virtual tour of the space, click here.