University of Southern Maine Dubyak Center for Digital Science and Innovation

The University of Southern Maine (USM) wanted to renovate the second floor of their existing Science Building (C-Wing) on the Portland campus to expand the University’s growing Michael E. Dubyak Center for Digital Science & Innovation. The program provides a physics classroom, a computer classroom, an innovation technology café, research labs, staff offices, and spaces for collaboration.

Through close collaboration with USM, SMRT learned it was important to create an environment that fostered creativity, collaboration, and technological advancements through the interiors and architecture of the space. By keeping faculty offices around the perimeter, providing a floor-to-ceiling glazed entry wall, and using a circulation concept similar to a campus quad, the design maximizes natural daylight into the core of the space to promote occupancy well-being while creating unique hubs to collaborate with others.

The use of contemporary frameless glass partitions accentuates the existing exposed concrete while the introduction of natural wood tones, carpet, and painted elements softens that modern aesthetic, reflecting the university’s focus on wellbeing with the use of biophilic design elements.