Boora Architects

Sited strategically along the primary east-west axis that bisects Stanford’s new Science and Engineering Quad (SEQ), the new 126,000-square-foot Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center is the most prominent building on the quad. The center’s octagonal pavilion, which houses the most public and regionally significant program components for the School of Engineering, draws precedent from Stanford’s Memorial Church, the iconic center of the historic Main Quad.

size
130,000 sf

location
Stanford University

completion
2010

sustainability
Seeking LEED Platinum

The Huang Engineering Center is the most programmatically diverse building the SEQ. Important regional program components include the School of Engineering Library, two high-tech classrooms and a 300-seat auditorium. Each of these spaces is  equipped for two-way television broadcasting.

Administrative centers include the Office of the Dean, the Departmental of Management Science & Engineering and the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering.

Other program components include a full service café, large-scale meeting spaces, flexible student project spaces, a centralized server room, a computational visualization lab and three fabrication shops.

Three atria connect the building vertically. These atria provide visual connection across diverse program components, facilitate wayfinding and unify the building.

The new center is targeting LEED Platinum level of performance and will consume 50% less energy than mandated by California Title-24. Through an innovative water reclamation system, the Huang Engineering Center will use 90% less potable water than a typical Stanford building of similar size and program. The building also makes extensive use of daylighting, natural ventilation, thermal mass and highly efficient systems to reduce its loads.