Shop Talk: Apollo Module at Purdue, Michigan State’s Medical School, and More

A replica of the Apollo 1 module hangs inside Purdue University’s newest building.

Purdue names building for astronaut alumnus: When Purdue University dedicated its new 210,326-square-foot engineering building on Saturday, the guest of honor was the alumnus after whom the building is named: Neil Armstrong, the astronaut. According to WLFI, a television station in West Lafayette, Ind., the building cost $53.2-million and will house several engineering programs. A university news release credits Ratio Architects for the design, which includes an aircraft-inspired exterior.

Medical school in Michigan: Michigan State University’s trustees have given the go-ahead for construction of a medical school (right) in Grand Rapids, according to The State News, the university’s student newspaper. The 180,000-square-foot building, due to open in 2010, will be seven stories tall and is expected to cost about $90-million. The architects are Ellenzweig Associates, according to a university news release.

University facility at Fort Campbell: Austin Peay State University is preparing to construct a $3.4-million classroom building (right) at Fort Campbell, a U.S. Army base near Clarksville, Tenn., according to The Leaf-Chronicle, a Clarksville newspaper. The building will have six 40-seat classrooms, faculty offices, and laboratory space, and is designed to be sustainable. The architects are Rufus Johnson Associates.