Developing a state-of-the-art facility to support construction research and education: A case study

The University of Washington's Department of Construction Management is in the process of developing interdisciplinary research and experiential education in construction engineering and management (CEM) with the creation of the 28,000 ft(2) Pacific Northwest Center for construction research and education (PNCCRE). In doing so, the department has identified challenges, limitations, and issues centered on bringing industry experience into the classroom and bringing researchers together from diverse disciplines from across the university. The University of Washington envisions the PNCCRE as a place where learners will experience CEM theory and skills firsthand in an interdisciplinary research environment that will foster innovation. This paper focuses on how the Department of Construction Management at the University of Washington is reenvisioning its research and education activities to take advantage of the new PNCCRE facility. In the education front, this paper introduces the experience learning model, a new paradigm to support active contextual learning in CEM. In the research context, this paper presents the interdisciplinary research model, a new approach to encourage collaborations, as well as appropriate organizational systems and work processes to support researchers and educators with diverse backgrounds, as they work together on mutually intersecting problems. The writers do not see these two models as separate endeavors, but as a coupled program, such that research informs the educational setting, and educational experiences inform research. The writers envision the PNCCRE fulfilling the needs of educators and students, researchers and practitioners, as well as the greater communities of industry and academia, by bringing together interdisciplinary teams to tackle the complex problems we face in CEM-a center where experience fosters curiosity, interdisciplinary collaboration broadens experience, and synergy creates a whirlwind of innovation and education.