Campus Life

Steidle Building honored by Master Builders’ Association of Western PA

The south side of Steidle Building now has floor-to-ceiling windows that display the shared laboratory space on the building's second, third, and fourth floors.  Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Steidle Building added another honor to its arsenal after the Master Builders’ Association (MBA) of Western Pennsylvania awarded it a 2017 Building Excellence Award in the category of Renovation Construction over $10 million.

Steidle, one of University Park campus’s most iconic buildings and home to the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was completely renovated in 2015 and 2016, preserving the original building while allowing for the addition of a new infill structure housing highly flexible, technical and shared research space. The more-than 22,350 square feet of shared laboratory not only allows for increased collaboration between scientists, but also for their work to be on display to building visitors.

With sustainability playing a large role in the design and features of the facility, Steidle Building was also honored with LEED Silver certification earlier this year. Improvements helping to secure the LEED honor, included implementation of energy-efficient systems, structural improvements and use of recycled materials.

Steidle Building, designed by renowned U.S. architect Charles Klauder and constructed in 1929, was originally known as the Mineral Industries Building. It was renamed in 1978 in honor of Edward Steidle, dean of the School of Mineral Industries, a predecessor to today’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

About the Master Builders' Association

Since 1886, MBA contractors have set the standard in Western Pennsylvania for construction excellence by investing in a skilled workforce, implementing award-winning safety programs and offering the best in management expertise. For more information on the MBA, please call 412-922-3912 or visit www.mbawpa.org.

Last Updated March 1, 2018