Pasadena, California-based C.W. Driver broke ground on a $54 million engineering and computer science building at California State University Fullerton, according to a June 9 news release.
The 45,000-square-foot Innovation Hub will help support burgeoning enrollment growth at Cal State Fullerton, the university system’s most populous campus.
Located in the heart of Orange County, CSU Fullerton’s Engineering and Computer Science program has experienced a 147% increase in enrollment in the past decade, according to a university news release and is projected to reach 8,000 students by the 2028-2029 academic year.
The build is being funded from $67.5 million in the state budget, according to the university.
Focused on teaching and research, the Innovation Hub will house a series of specialized dry labs for disciplines including computing, robotics, materials testing and cyber security. Organized in clusters and built to be flexible, C.W. Driver said the labs are designed to adapt to evolving industry demands and workforce needs.
The building will also feature student lounges, study rooms, wellness and meeting areas, makerspaces and equipment rooms. Immersive learning spaces will allow students to engage in real-world, project-based experiences.
“This is more than just a new building—it’s a transformational space that will launch careers, drive innovation, and fuel economic growth across the region,” said Jamie Macartney, project executive at C.W. Driver, in the release.
C.W. Driver, a 106-year-old general contractor and construction manager, has completed a number of educational projects across the state, including the recent $60 million Visual Arts Campus at CSUF. Other projects in the builder’s portfolio include MiraCosta College’s Chemistry & Biotechnology Building; Mt. San Jacinto College’s STEM Science & Technology Buildings; CSU Dominguez Hills’ Center for Science & Innovation; and UC Santa Barbara’s Interactive Learning Pavilion.
For the Innovation Hub, project partners include:
- San Francisco-based architectural and planning firm Gensler.
- Los Angeles-based structural engineer Saiful Bouquet.
- Long Beach, California-based consultancy P2S.
- San Diego-based landscape architect LandLab.
- Seattle-based consulting engineer KPFF.
The project is slated for completion in spring 2027
