New University of Arizona Applied Research Building Furthers Space Research
The University of Arizona marked the completion of construction and opening of the $85 million Applied Research Building (ARB), a one-of-a-kind advanced research facility that further solidifies and advances the university’s reputation in space research. Located at the southeast corner of Helen Street and the Highland Corridor and delivered utilizing a progressive design-build partnership between integrated design firm SmithGroup and general contractor McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., the 89,000-square-foot ARB is among the first buildings in the country to house all research spaces related to the fabrication and testing of satellites in one integrated facility.
The ARB is the new home of applied physical sciences and engineering, connecting faculty across four colleges and eight departments — college of engineering (aerospace and mechanical, electrical and computer, material science and engineering, and systems and industrial); college of science (astronomy, lunar, and planetary lab); college of optical sciences; and the college of medicine — enabling cutting-edge space science and exploration, advanced manufacturing, and imaging technology research essential to storied missions like the giant magellan telescope and Mars exploration rover.