The Schoenecker Center for STEAM at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, represents a new generation of higher-education facilities designed to support interdisciplinary learning. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) in collaboration with BWBR Architects and McGough Construction, the 130,000-square-foot building is one of the first purpose-built centres in the United States to intentionally integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics under one roof.
Targeting LEED Gold (v4) certification, the building aligns academic ambition with environmental responsibility. It serves both the School of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences, bringing together departments that are traditionally separated into distinct buildings and academic silos.
Designed for convergence
Rather than organising the building by discipline, the Schoenecker Center is structured around shared space and visibility. Across five levels, the programme accommodates classrooms, science and engineering laboratories, computer labs, art and media studios, performance and rehearsal spaces, and innovation areas. The building’s layout encourages chance encounters and cross-disciplinary awareness, reinforcing the idea that creativity often emerges at the intersection of fields.
At ground level, a large central atrium functions as the building’s social and spatial anchor. A prominent wood-panelled stair connects floors visually and physically, reinforcing movement and interaction. Departmental spaces are arranged around this shared core, creating a clear organisational framework without isolating individual programmes.
Public spaces as learning infrastructure
The ground floor brings together a diverse mix of uses, including an art gallery, café, media recording studios, music rehearsal rooms, and a double-height choral performance space for up to 150 people. Also located here is a 5,000-square-foot high bay laboratory equipped with a 20-foot bridge crane and concrete strong wall. This space allows engineering students to conduct full-scale experiments and demonstrations, placing hands-on learning at the centre of the building’s public life.
Upper levels house the Emerging Media department, followed by engineering and laboratory spaces dedicated to robotics, sustainability, physics, and energy systems. RAMSA led the design of the building’s massing, exterior expression, and arts-related spaces, while BWBR focused on the technically complex engineering and laboratory environments.
Managing complexity through design
Integrating performance halls, recording studios, and heavy engineering labs within one building presented significant technical challenges. Acoustic separation, vibration control, and structural coordination were critical to ensure that activities in one area did not disrupt another. These constraints were addressed through careful planning, layered construction assemblies, and coordination between architectural and engineering systems. The result is a building where contrasting activities coexist without compromise, supporting both quiet concentration and high-impact experimentation.
Transparency and flexibility
A defining feature of the Schoenecker Center is its emphasis on transparency. Extensive interior glazing allows students and visitors to observe different forms of making, testing, and performing throughout the building. The high bay laboratory is visible from the second level, while performance and rehearsal spaces open visually onto the atrium and the surrounding campus. Along Summit Avenue, windows provide passersby with a view into rehearsal spaces, extending learning into the public realm.
Flexibility is built into the building’s core spaces. Multi-use rooms can be reconfigured as teaching environments, event venues, or collaborative workspaces. The main performance space includes retractable seating, allowing it to shift between formal performances, classrooms, and large gatherings without structural change.
