Michigan State University - STEM Building

Michigan State University’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility masterfully transforms the long-dormant Shaw Lane Power Plant into a vibrant and functional STEM hub. This 160,000-square-foot complex blends 40,000 SF of thoughtful renovation with 120,000 SF of innovative new construction. Designed to foster interdisciplinary learning, it features classrooms, gateway labs, collaborative study areas, and a café—all illuminated by abundant natural light and anchored by the old power plant’s iconic four-story boiler and industrial grit, now repurposed as a dramatic focal point for student interaction.

SDI Structures engineered this adaptive reuse and mass timber hybrid with precision and sustainability in mind. The building’s new wings utilize cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors and ceilings, supported by glued-laminated (glulam) timber columns and beams—the first large-scale application of mass timber in Michigan education facilities. These wood elements form a Type IIIB construction core, while a steel exoskeleton supports the façade materials—brick, cast stone, and glass—ensuring both aesthetic unity with campus tradition and structural resilience. The integration with the existing steel-framed power plant was carefully managed through seamless load path connections and hybrid framing that respect both the building’s legacy and its modernized purpose.