Engineering Classroom and Research Building (ECRB)    

Currently, the College of Engineering has two programs on the Galveston campus. These include freshman engineering (EASA/ENGE) and Ocean Engineering (OCEN). The programs reside in the Powell Marine Engineering Complex and share the space with Galveston’s Marine Engineering Technology program. As these programs grow and the College of Engineering adds additional programs to the Galveston campus, there is a need for additional space in the form of the Engineering Classroom & Research Building (ECRB). The Engineering Classroom & Research Building on the Galveston campus will house the Freshman Engineering Program and five additional academic programs that include:

1. Environmental Engineering (EVEN)
2. Interdisciplinary Engineering (ITDE)
3. Multidisciplinary Engineering (MXET)
4. Ocean Engineering (OCEN)
5. Computer Science and Engineering (CSCE)

In order to accommodate all of the space needs, the College of Engineering will employ a staggered approach to current and future building construction. In this first stage, the Engineering Classroom & Research Building (ECRB) will create approximately 30,000 sq ft of assignable space (approximately 54,000 gross square feet) to serve as a centerpiece for the freshman and new four-year engineering programs. It is anticipated that this new facility will cover most of the space needs as the new programs kick-off and start to grow. However, this building will be constructed adjacent to the current Powell Marine Engineering Complex (PMEC) which houses the Marine Engineering Technology program and which will continue to support the new engineering programs with needed classroom, academic laboratory, research laboratory and administration space. In addition, the new engineering programs will continue to leverage classroom space across the Galveston campus for needs over and above the space provided in the ECRB. Eventually, as the programs outgrow the space, an expansion or future new building will be considered.