SHW Group Will Design the Science and Technology Incubator at Kettering University in Flint, Mich.

The SHW Group’s Detroit studio will design the new Science and Technology Incubator at Kettering University in Flint, Mich. It will be the first building to be constructed at the Kettering University Technology Park and possibly the first LEED certified building in Flint. It will be located on Bluff Street, near the Flint River.

“The mission of Kettering’s new Science and Technology Incubator is to provide resources and opportunities to encourage and grow high-tech entrepreneurship as a core strategy for the economic development in mid-Michigan,” said Kettering University President Stan Liberty. “This mission also supports the University’s direction for the development of an entrepreneurial culture through not only educational programs but also faculty and student spin-off commercialization opportunities,” he added.

Slated for completion in 2009, the 9,000-square-foot building will be divided into public and private functional space, each supporting scientific and technologically-based start-up companies that need dedicated laboratory space during their first three to four years of business. LEED Certification is the nationally accepted standard for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. It promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Amenities in the public space include a business center, furnished offices, a conference room with high-tech audio/video systems, a café vending and seating area, and a reception area. The private space will be home to six 700-square-foot state-of-the-art wet and dry research laboratories.

SHW Group is one of the world’s largest educational architecture and design firms, as ranked in the BD World Architecture’s 2008 The Big List. The company is known for its comprehensive collaboration with educators, cognitive researchers and strategic planners to design innovative facilities that support the learning process. For more information, visit www.shwgroup.com.