Baylor research park moving forward with construction

I had the opportunity last week to tour what will soon be Baylor’s new discovery/research park, the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC). It’s a work to behold, and once occupied, will provide an excellent home for Baylor research efforts in science, technology, engineering and math — a point well made by internationally renowned physicist Dr. Marlan Scully, who will relocate his labs from Princeton to Baylor when BRIC opens.

The gargantuan columns that make up the skeleton of the facility (originally built as a tire factory) will provide the framework for a beautiful showcase for Baylor’s research efforts. A long first-floor corridor will give visitors the chance to peer into labs on either side of the hall, while walls of windows (yet to be installed) on the second and third floor will provide a view from conference rooms back toward campus (about two miles away).

Check out this video from News Channel 25 or this photo gallery from Baylor Photography for a look inside the BRIC facility. Phase I of the project should be complete by next spring; researchers such as Scully could move in as soon as fall 2012.

Sic ’em, BRIC!