Case Western ISEB — Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building

Case Western Reserve University’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building is heading into its final months, with construction due to wrap in fall 2026. The $200 million project is one of the biggest capital investments in the university’s recent history, funded largely through century bonds the school issued in 2023.

Project Scope

ISEB pulls researchers from physics, engineering, materials science and data-heavy disciplines into shared labs, betting that putting them under one roof produces work that siloed departments miss. Discovery Builders, a joint venture led by Turner Construction, is the contractor; HGA of Minnesota designed the building. About $150 million of the cost is covered by the bond issue, with the balance from university funds and gifts.

Why It Matters

Research universities are in an arms race for faculty and grants, and modern wet-lab space is the price of entry. A building like ISEB signals to prospective hires and funding agencies that Case Western can support the kind of cross-disciplinary work that wins large federal awards. It also concentrates expensive shared instrumentation, which is easier to justify when three departments use it instead of one.

Project Team & Details