Ground has been broken on a teaching facility for advanced manufacturing, designed for the University of Maine by UK architect Grimshaw in association with engineers SMRT of Singapore and the US’ Thornton Tomasetti.
The 4,300 sq m project, titled the Green Energy & Materials Factory of the Future, will contain additive manufacturing labs for use by the College of Engineering and Computing.
It will have a two-level atrium, known as the GEM Gateway, a 3D-printing area, classrooms, learning labs and the “Mini GEM” workshop – the digital twin of a full-scale manufacturing space that allows students to create prototypes.
Two central bays, 12m high and 37m long, will be purpose-built for the manufacturing of large products.
Mark Rhoads, the principal of Grimshaw’s New York arm, said: “GEM Factory of the Future is designed to be a nexus for the University of Maine’s campus and a hub for bringing manufacturing back into the academic discourse.
“It’s where engineering, computer science, academics and industry converge to create and refine new technologies, making it a model for modern interdisciplinary research, collaboration and education.”
The facility is due to be completed in the summer of 2026.
