+ Project Detail

About
Academic & Research Facility
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
26,300 sf

As part of the Cockrell School of Engineering, Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall (ECJ) was completed in 1974 to house Civil Engineering. The 14-story, 240,000-square-foot building is a central hub for research and academic activity not only for Civil and Architectural Engineering, but also for a range of other engineering disciplines that utilize its labs and facilities.

Our work began with a focused scope to modernize outdated research labs on the 7th and 8th floors, transforming them into flexible Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) labs and open environments that better support contemporary research. Through programming and space-use analysis, we identified underutilized areas on other floors, which allowed the lab spaces to expand significantly for current and future researchers. The revised scope included converting the entire 7th and 8th floors into lab space and relocating student study areas to vacant space on the 9th and 10th floors. This new strategy better meets the school’s goals and urgent need for more graduate research facilities while maintaining dedicated student spaces.

Addressing the building’s age-related infrastructure challenges, particularly its inefficient MEP systems, has been a critical part of the work. Upgrades to rooftop systems will support modern ventilation to meet The University of Texas current lab standards. In addition, our team developed test fits and lab layouts to relocate researchers to other labs on campus during the project’s construction, allowing their work to continue with minimal disruption.

Throughout the process, we have helped the School of Engineering fully understand the scope, weigh opportunities and tradeoffs, and make informed decisions to achieve their goals within budget. Ultimately, the project enhances the building’s capacity to support cutting-edge research, improves space efficiency, and provides flexible, functional, and accessible labs that will serve multiple disciplines for years to come.

Collaborator
BSA LifeStructures (Lab Planning)