The Roux Institute at Northeastern University

The Roux Institute at Northeastern University – Portland, ME

ROUX INSTITUTE FOSTERS TECH TALENT AND INNOVATION ACROSS NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND

The Roux Institute’s emerging innovation hub servers as both a professional graduate school and research center dedicated to bringing cutting edge technologies to Maine. Located at 100 Fore Street in Portland’s historic Old Port neighborhood, the 43,450 sq ft campus embraces its vibrant community while taking advantage of a rich employer network, access to world-class faculty and researchers, and the university’s global reach. Designed to build talent, train the next generation of tech professionals, and drive economic growth, the space encourages cross-collaboration for learners, faculty, and staff with multiple flex areas and free address workspace.

As the world leader in experiential learning, the Roux institute supports a variety of spaces for the task at hand. With a mix of open and enclosed classrooms, study, café, amphitheater, makerspace research area, and meeting rooms, the campus’ flexible spaces embrace entrepreneurial and creative thinking. Through height-adjustable desks, nearby phone booths, and different seating postures, the unassigned work zones reflects the campus’ mission of liberating students from outdated career models and giving them the opportunity to work in close collaboration with others under the same roof.

Certain design elements including strong biophilia throughout serve as a source of energy while mobile planters instill privacy for concentration. To help reduce unnecessary noise from the open amphitheater, sound masking plays a critical role. All interior furnishings are freestanding, moveable, and completely compatible in function, fit and finish. Furniture is meant to be utilized interchangeably through the floor plan, allowing the space to adapt to the needs of changing and rotating research teams.

Photos © Ryan Bent Photography

Project Partners 

• SMRT
• Leggat McCall
• Cianbro Corporation

Solutions

• Furniture
• Sound masking