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Seizing an 'Extraordinary Opportunity'

Creating new possibilities for discovery and impact

Case Western Reserve is planning a historic investment in research—a $300 million cutting-edge building that heralds a new era of campus collaborations to address pressing global challenges.

The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) is slated to open in 2026 and will be the university's single-largest investment in its research enterprise. "Our potential to spark a new generation of transformative research demands this investment," President Eric W. Kaler said. "As a leading research university, we have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference with our discoveries—and it's our responsibility and privilege to pursue this path with unwavering determination."

HGA, a national architectural firm with extensive experience in higher education, is designing ISEB. The building will bring together researchers from multiple subject areas in a state-of-the-art space designed to encourage informal interaction and meaningful collaborations. Preliminary focus areas include applications of technology to improve health, upgrade energy storage and conversion, and understand our changing planet.

The most ambitious construction project ever launched on the Case Quad, the ISEB also will enhance the look and feel of campus buildings along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, making the stretch more accessible, welcoming and modern.

In many ways, the building is a powerful proclamation in itself. Opening during the year that Case Western Reserve marks its 200th anniversary, the structure is intended to be an even stronger driver of discovery, one that attracts and retains exceptionally talented faculty and extends the university's role as an economic catalyst for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.