University of Texas at Austin Engineering Discovery Building

Located on a prominent corner in the engineering precinct, the Engineering Discovery Building (EDB) will create a new gateway and…

Redefining the Future of Energy Research

University of Texas at Austin Engineering Discovery Building

Austin, TX

Located on a prominent corner in the engineering precinct, the Engineering Discovery Building (EDB) will create a new gateway and link to the central UT Austin campus. The EDB will support the Cockrell School of Engineering’s mission to educate future leaders, encourage entrepreneurship and industry partnerships, and provide an environment for cross-disciplinary collaboration. 

At 210,000 SF and 7 stories, the EDB will replace existing research and teaching space, providing a new home for the Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering, while encouraging industry partnerships within the energy sector. The building will accommodate a broad range of research themes, including novel biomaterials, chemical synthesis, geo-mechanics and production engineering – all supported by robust computation engineering capabilities. 

Designed for flexibility, the building will provide space for up to 32 faculty researchers and 335 graduate students and postdocs. Research laboratories, teaching laboratories, and classrooms will be placed within a collaborative environment replete with study rooms, technology-enabled meeting rooms, open work areas, and public spaces for casual and formal engagement between faculty, students and staff.

Project Name

Engineering Discovery Building

Size

210,000 GSF

Client

University of Texas at Austin

Completion Date

2026 (est.) 

Services

Architecture
Programming
Laboratory Planning
Interior Design

Location

Austin, TX

The new Engineering Discovery Building will serve as a catalyst for innovation in engineering solutions that advance society, drive economic progress and improve quality of life around the world.