The 4,000-square-foot, 2-story windowless concrete structure now contains a state-of-the-art functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner—used for measuring brain activity—and the infrastructure to support its use in groundbreaking medical research. The research planned will focus mainly on children with learning disabilities, putting the university at the forefront of a pioneering field of neurological study.

Originally completed in 1968, the building has long housed UConn’s hearing and speech clinics. The renovation project introduces highly sensitive building technology essential to fMRI research.

“UConn already has a reputation as a strong research university,” says Bob Skolozdra, AIA, LEED-AP, principal-in-charge for the new facility. “Bringing this fMRI technology to the campus helps elevate the university’s national profile, putting them on the map in this nascent field of research. A prestigious project like this can help UConn attract top research talent and major grants.”

Read full article here  in Retrofit Magazine.