The Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science

Discovering the Building Blocks of Tomorrow

About the BuildingResearch ImpactSupport Innovation Stories

Rice’s engineering and science faculty are leading some of the most inspiring scientific breakthroughs and technology innovations of our time. The O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science, supported by a remarkable lead gift from the estate of Ralph S. O’Connor, will sit at the forefront of those discoveries and serve as a resource that will inspire and support a new era of innovation and entrepreneurship.

A New Home for Dynamic Research

Supported by an extraordinary lead gift from the estate of Ralph S. O’Connor and other philanthropic commitments, the landmark engineering and science building will address a host of pressing needs spanning new materials, healthcare, energy, the environment and more. Currently under construction, the $152 million, 266,000-square-foot facility where Rice engineers and scientists will develop knowledge and technologies to address a host of pressing needs spanning new materials, healthcare, energy, the environment and more. The building will include state-of-the-art laboratory space, classrooms, collaborative gathering spaces, and flexible offices with touchdown spaces to support significant increases in faculty, post-docs and graduate students.

Engineering Quad

Wong Lab

Translating Research into Bold Solutions

Rice engineering and science is focused on transforming scientific discovery and academic knowledge into meaningful solutions that will better our world. A combination of makerspaces and a dedicated prototyping facility will provide a hub for accelerating new technologies on campus and translating intellectual property.

An Exceptional Undergraduate Experience

The building’s increased capacity for research and professional collaboration will significantly boost undergraduate opportunities in these areas. This, alongside state-of the-art classrooms and makerspaces, means more networking, hands-on experiences and experiential learning for Rice students.

Undergraduates

New Engineering Quad

A Reenvisioned Engineering Quad

The O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science will realize a unified vision for the engineering quad. Situated alongside Maxfield Hall (formerly Mechanical Laboratory), Duncan Hall, Keck Hall and the Cox Mechanical Engineering Building, this new facility will coalesce teams of researchers into one powerful ecosystem. The building will also provide an open and welcoming space where industry sponsors, entrepreneurs and visiting faculty can spend time on campus working closely with our faculty and students.

A New Era for Collaboration

The Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science will foster innovative research neighborhoods around Materials, Quantum, Energy and other high-impact research endeavors. This state-of-the-art facility will attract top researchers and accelerate interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships with industry and government.

Materials

The Welch Institute: World-leading Materials Research

Founded by a $100 million grant to Rice, the Welch Institute will channel the power of fundamental chemistry and materials science, coupled with the latest in machine learning and artificial intelligence, to accelerate the discovery, design and manufacture of the next generation of materials with applications to new energy systems, sustainable water, space systems, telecommunications, manufacturing, transportation, security and more.
 

>welchinstitute.org

Quantum: New Properties and Possibilities

The quantum revolution that is coming will harvest the properties of particles and light to develop applications across information science, sensing, communication and computing. Rice’s Quantum Initiative is poised to be a national leader in quantum research.
 

>quantum.rice.edu

Quantum revolution

Carbon Hub

Carbon Hub: Accelerating Energy Transitions

Rice researchers are working towards new solutions that maximize energy production while protecting the environment. Envisioning a zero emissions future, the Carbon Hub produces technologies for efficiently splitting hydrocarbons to make clean-burning hydrogen fuel and solid carbon materials that will house, move, clothe and feed people.
 

>carbonhub.rice.edu

NEWT: The Science Behind Clean Water

The Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Center (NEWT), headquartered at Rice University, is a partnership between academia, industry and government that works on next-generation water treatment systems. NEWT uses nanotechnology to tap unconventional sources to provide water for humanitarian needs and emergency response.
 

>newtcenter.org

NEWT

A Modern Design for Collaborative Discovery

Well-equipped laboratories and classrooms, inviting seminar rooms and a state-of-the-art makerspace serve as the foundation for this innovative and pivotal facility. The common areas include an expansive lobby, modern spiral staircase and welcoming café on the first floor. The top level boasts a reception suite and a stunning outdoor terrace that functions as both a reception venue and a research space. The building will serve as a meeting place for bold ideas and a focal point for pathbreaking scientific discovery and technological advancement on campus.

NESB Back Rendering

 

Invest in Innovation

Partner with us to empower innovation and strengthen Rice’s research impact. If you are interested in supporting the new Engineering and Science Building or naming a space within this highly anticipated facility, please contact a member of our development team:

Sara L. Rice

Sara L. Rice
Senior Director of Development

713-348-3189

sdl@rice.edu

Jackie Macha

Jackie Macha
Director of Development - Natural Sciences

713-348-4268

jackie.macha@rice.edu

Cynthia Riley

Cynthia Riley
Senior Director of Development - Engineering

713-348-7347

cynthia.c.riley@rice.edu

Katie Donovan

Katie Donovan
Associate Director of Development - Engineering

713-348-4612

katiedonovan@rice.edu

A Brief History

Outside Abercrombie

The new Engineering and Science Building will be constructed on the site of the Abercrombie Engineering Laboratory, a facility that was has served Rice’s engineering students and faculty since 1948. Abercrombie was built with a gift from the parents of alumna and philanthropist Josephine Abercrombie ’46. During its tenure on campus, the building played a storied role in some of the university’s most exciting innovations. In 1956, three faculty members designed and built the R1, the university’s first large computational research computer and the fastest computer on a university campus at the time. Abercrombie was also home to the biomedical lab of William Akers, who was instrumental in developing the first artificial human heart. While the demolition of this building closes out one chapter in the history of research excellence at Rice, the construction of a cutting-edge new facility in its footprint opens remarkable opportunities for the next generation of innovators.

Abercrombie lab
Abercrombie lab

Top: (1963) Abercrombie Lab was the historically significant site of the Rice Research Computer (later named R1), a homemade computer that took up roughly 625 square feet of space at the south end of the second floor.
Bottom: (1965) Professor William W. Akers, of the Department of the Chemical Engineering, conducting research on building an artificial heart.

Built in 1948, Abercrombie Engineering Laboratory served Rice’s engineering students and faculty for 72 years, playing a storied role in some of the university’s most exciting innovations. In 1956, three faculty members designed and built the R1, the university’s first large computational research computer and the fastest computer on a university campus at the time. Abercrombie was also home to the biomedical lab of William Akers, who was instrumental in developing the first artificial human heart in 1965. While the demolition of Abercrombie closes out one chapter in the history of research excellence at Rice, the construction of a cutting-edge new facility in its footprint opens remarkable opportunities for the next generation of innovators.