1/9/2023 Lexi Larson
Written by Lexi Larson
The renovated Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building (MEB) sits on the corner of South Mathews Avenue and Green Street, the most heavily trafficked corner on campus. The Lu MEB is meant for learning, but it inspires so much more.
Walking into the building, one is welcomed by the smells of fresh Starbucks coffee and the sounds of students playing a game of foosball. The building contains the Jackson Innovation Studio, various study spaces, and two nap pods, all to support the department’s active and busy students.
Damon McFall, MechSE’s director of facilities and operations, had several goals for the Lu MEB. Of those goals, the most impactful to the welcoming experience undoubtedly are the biophilic design choices and the artwork additions.
Biophilic designs, done successfully, connect the building and its occupants to nature. McFall’s design choices of beautiful windows that strategically invite sunlight into the building’s remote corners, furniture upholstery inspired by the colors and patterns in nature and living plants all helped accomplish this feeling. McFall believes the extra effort required to care for the live plants is worth the quality they add to the environment. The biophilic design on its own is a beautiful inclusion of natural art.
Man-made art also fills the Lu MEB and continues to be added. Upon entering the building from Green Street, students are greeted with a “We Are MechSE” wall, soon to be completed with photos of the faces, research, and experiences of MechSE students and faculty. From the ceiling, students’ design course “walkers” hang to inspire both creativity and hard work.
On the second floor, minimalistic hand-drawn math equations from ten different artists line the walls outside the classrooms, waiting to spark curiosity. The ten pieces that comprise "Concinnitas" were donated to MechSE by alumnus Tom Sullivan (BSME 1980).
The fourth floor is home to a unique piece painted by John O’Donnell (BSME 1992). In 2018, the MechSE alumnus decided to revisit his childhood love of making art. Experimenting with paint again, he explored large canvases. Next thing he knew, his paintings were hanging in an interior design studio in Chicago—and he had donated two to the Beckman Institute. His abstract art mimics the frameworks of the Lu MEB in both architecture and nature. The influence of math from his undergraduate years can be seen in the curves and lines. Yet the interaction of the shapes, as with any good art, results in something new for the viewer to decide.
"My painting style aesthetically is more industrial, heavy and has simplistic themes that allow me to try and push the energy of nature and science that lies within us. I often paint with my hands and try to embrace the freedom of expression of a child," O'Donnell said.
As the Lu MEB continues to grow while supporting its MechSE family, visitors can anticipate more exciting incorporations of art and nature, including an outdoor kinetic art sculpture.