Joseph E. Usibelli Engineering Building

Joseph E. Usibelli Engineering Learning and Innovation Building

Fairbanks Campus

Description: 1764 Tanana Loop

The Joseph E. Usibelli Engineering Learning and Innovation Building opened for classes in January of 2018. It added 130,000 square feet of new space, including a high-bay lab, nine teaching labs, nine research labs, two maker spaces, several new classrooms and offices for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power. The building was designed to the silver standard set by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program and, since opening, has outperformed those measures, saving the university approximately 30% in energy costs, compared to other similar buildings. The building also contains sensors that allow real-time monitoring during high wind or seismic events, a first for a building in Interior Alaska and one of only a few such buildings in the state.

Nestled between the Duckering and Bunnell buildings, the new Engineering Learning and Innovation Facility provides a modern space for learning and discovery. The six-story building features a 48-foot high-bay area for tall projects, a strong floor for testing extremely heavy items, a cold room and 40 new laboratories.

Schaible Auditorium, formerly a part of the Bunnell Building, is now accessible through the lobby of the new facility. The building’s exterior is mainly glass and steel. 

Construction began on April 1, 2013, and  the building was expected to be finished by fall 2015. However, the initial state funding was insufficient to complete the job, and work on the facility stopped in August 2015. With help from private donors, more state funding and a revenue bond, the university by 2016 had enough money to finish the job.

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Notable People: Joseph E. Usibelli

Regent: Joseph E. Usibelli (1999-2007)