The project included the renovation of the second floor of the existing nuclear energy research facility on campus for use in a wide program of energy investigation and an addition to house the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute (MMPEI). The Institute oversees the University’s multidisciplinary energy research effort.
The addition replaces an unused greenhouse with a glass and steel addition that provides the building with a new and inviting public entry. The dramatic two-story entry space serves both to orient visitors to the building and to provide a place for historic and educational displays of the MMPL’s history, purpose and ongoing research activities. An oculus serves as a distinctive design feature of the stairwell.