Freshman Students Anticipate Completion of Patrick F. Taylor Hall

Excitement for expansion of Patrick F. Taylor Hall builds with incoming freshman class.

6/21/2017

Freshman orientation sessions in the College of Engineering started with a bang on June 8.

During their one-day orientation, students toured the newly renovated Patrick F. Taylor Hall, and many were left in awe of the 462,150-square-foot facility.

Mechanical engineering freshman Kristen Bohnet said she chose to attend LSU because she loved the culture and the opportunities offered.

The Woodlands, Texas native also saw the new building as an added bonus to attend the college.

“It is so cool,” Bohnet said. “I got lucky that right when I am entering college, it just so happens the [building] is almost finished.”

Drake Graham has two brothers majoring in construction management at LSU and decided he wanted to pursue the same major. Although the Mandeville, La. native fell in love with the college’s atmosphere, he also fell in love with the facility.

“I just sent a text to my brother saying the new engineering building is amazing,” Graham said during the tour. “It looks really nice and this is only the first floor.”

Graham was not the only one impressed with the building.

Gage Vidriene, a Grosse Tete, La. native and construction management major, visited the campus for LSU Kickoff and was impressed by the progress of the building thus far.

“It is pretty cool and there is a bunch of stuff that will be useful for hands-on learning,” Vidriene said.

Patrick F. Taylor Hall is one of the largest freestanding engineering buildings in the nation.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the $100 million renovation was held in November 2014. Renovation of the building’s north side began soon after and was completed in July 2016. Phase two (renovation of the south side) began in September 2016 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2017.

The new engineering complex will include state-of-the-art labs and gathering spaces such as the Capstone Gallery, which is currently under construction, the BASF Sustainability Lab and the Roy O. Martin Auditorium.

The BASF Sustainability Lab, which is the first of its kind at LSU and in the southeast region, is an innovative space that promotes problem-based teaching and research focused on sustainable solutions to meet global challenges.

Additionally, the DOW Student Leadership Center will house up to 15 engineering student organizations locally, allowing students to develop leadership skills, work in a team environment, and perpetuate a spirit of service through volunteering.

The graduating class of 2021 will be the first to utilize the new building in its entirety.

About Patrick F. Taylor Hall

In 2007, the University renamed the engineering building to honor Patrick F. Taylor, the founder of the Tuition Opportunity Program, also known as TOPS. The state-funded program provides college assistance to thousands of undergraduate students enrolled in Louisiana colleges and universities. Learn more about the Patrick F. Taylor story here.

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Raven Nichols, communications interns, LSU College of Engineering