Location
Lakeland, FL
Architect
Santiago Calatrava
General Contractor
Skanska
Industry
Education
Project overview
Founded in 2012, Florida Polytechnic University is the only public Florida university that dedicates itself to the study of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM fields). The university’s 160,000 square foot Science Innovation and Technology building is the first completed building and cornerstone of its 171-acre campus.
Project Scope
At the Florida Polytechnic University Innovation Science and Technology Building, MG McGrath furnished and installed each of the building’s 84 pergola frames, comprised of 104 rods and measuring 39’ in height by 50’ in length, which visually enclose the terraces that encircle the building. MG McGrath also played a key role in creating the 94 individual hydraulic cylinder aluminum arms, engineered to automatically travel individually from 65˚ above the horizontal plane at their maximum upright position, to 48˚ below the horizontal plane when resting in their fully lowered position. The louvers function to control solar heat gain, regulate light levels and generate electricity for the campus. Symbolically, they are a representation of the school, providing a sense of what is possible when using STEM to build projects consisting of movable parts
