Built in 2002, the MCST building was designed to support innovative integration of technology to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. Its design is the result of months of discussions by faculty and college administrators. Key design considerations reflected in the building include: over a dozen different classroom and computer lab designs and furniture layouts that provide maximum flexibility to the instructor; excellent lighting control to support the display of digital images; excellent acoustic control; a combination of direct and indirect lighting; numerous informal small group gathering areas; full wireless connectivity; standardized projection equipment; extensive placement of dry erase boards to support group activities during class; and appealing aesthetics that include decorating with thematic art.
The value of gathering places within academic and research buildings is more appreciated today than in the past. Such spaces serve study groups preparing for exams, student teams working on projects, and scientists whose research increasingly involves collaboration with other scholars, often from other disciplines.