1819 Innovation Hub: UC's Latest Addition to Campus
Self-described as the UC community’s new “front door,” the freshly renovated building at 2900 Reading Road serves as a one-stop shop for students and faculty to connect, collaborate, and as promised by its moniker, innovate. The building itself, named after UC’s 1819 founding, was constructed in 1929 and operated as a Sears department store as well as various UC services throughout the years.
Following a massive $38 million dollar renovation, the 1819 Innovation Hub formally opened its doors to the UC community on October 5th, 2018.
The 133,000 square-foot building acts as a networking hotspot for the university, inviting academia and industry to collide and create, and providing opportunity for all students, faculty, and businesspeople to connect. Student and company relationships are specifically encouraged. An impressive list of companies including Procter and Gamble and Kroger have already created deals with 1819 Innovation to tap into UC’s resources and talent pool, especially in terms of student collaboration.
Offering both space and resource in multi-disciplinary ways, the building is riddled with shared meeting spaces, conference rooms, and open collaboration space. The modern classrooms even include a 12,000 square-foot Makerspace, equipped with top of the line 3D printers, hand tools, CNC machines, waterjet cutters, and metal and woodworking areas.
Although the 1929 structure still possesses some of its original art deco charm, the newly renovated interior strikes visitors with its vast openness, jutting staircases, and sharp design. What’s more, the building is conveniently located just one mile from campus and provides parking as well as UC shuttle service.
Not only does the 1819 Innovation Hub create the possibility for students to engage with local companies, but with each other. The hope for this space is that students will come for the resources and stay for the connections made—nursing students will meet engineering students, design students will meet business students, and so on.
The Innovation Hub also allows UC administrators to sit down with companies and identify the specific skills needed in employees. Then, UC graduates can better prepare for a future that is closely affiliated with those specific skills, and attract the right company in the right industry.
Driven by a need for multi-disciplinary and solution-seeking ideas, the 1819 Innovation Hub will surely fulfill its purpose—to connect, collaborate, and innovate.
Any inquiries, please contact Tony Almaguer.
Follow the latest endeavors of the 1819 Innovation Hub on Twitter, via @1819Innovation.
Written by Danniah Daher, graduate assistant to the graduate school office.