UMass, Amherst
Sustainable Engineering Laboratories

With the new Sustainable Engineering Laboratories (SEL), UMass Amherst is building a vibrant national hub to accelerate clean energy research and educate tomorrow’s sustainable engineering workforce. Instead of housing a single department, this living laboratory is a shared research hub for the entire College of Engineering; a hive for collaboration focused on sustainable initiatives.

Situated on the southern edge of the engineering campus, facing the Campus Center and Student Union, the SEL acts as the new “front door” to engineering for the broader campus.

The building design reflects the ambitious charter of the SEL. As a “front door” to the engineering school, the SEL invites the public into a transparent ground level, opening to the multiple approaches. At grade, the building hosts the broader UMass student body with classroom space, flexible commons space and a café.