Electrical and Computer Engineering Building (ECE)
09. Electrical and Computer Engineering Building (ECE)
In October 2014, the college finished the 230,000 square foot Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) building. The space, which began construction in 2011, was funded by private and corporate donors, in addition to substantial support from the State of Illinois.
The ECE building has more than 20 lab spaces intended for student instruction and learning. These labs continue the ECE tradition of hands-on learning, particularly on cutting-edge topics such as nanofabrication, optics, control and robotics.
The building is LEED platinum certified, meaning it is energy efficient and environmentally friendly. ECE boasts both solar panels and orange horizontal beams through which water flows that heat and cool the building, depending upon the season. The building also qualifies as a ZERO NET energy space 102–meaning it regenerates every watt of power it consumes. The ECE building is the largest ZERO NET building in the United States and is 22 times larger than the second largest ZERO NET building in the U.S.
Notable Artwork
Amplifiers: On the east or Quad side of the ECE building stands “Amplifiers,” by Nicole Beck. The sculpture honors the joint discoveries of Grainger Engineering Professors John Bardeen and Nick Holonyak, Jr. and the extensive history of innovation and collaboration at the college. “Amplifiers” is comprised of granite, LEDs, glass and stainless steel.
Diss Connections: On the west side of the ECE building, look for the sculpture titled “Diss Connections” by sculptor John Adduci. The artist described the bronze and stainless-steel sculpture as a simple and symbolic representation of the connections engineers make in their work.
The college unveiled the two, large outdoor sculptures in 2014 as part of the ECE building’s dedication. The Capital Development Board of Illinois Art in Architecture program commissioned the sculptures.
Email grainger-marcom@illinois.edu with questions or feedback.