Carnegie Mellon University
Alan Magee Scaife Hall of Engineering
Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University received a grant to construct a new building for its mechanical engineering department, which was outgrowing the existing 41,500 sf space. The University engaged KieranTimberlake for architecture and Spacesmith for the FF&E scope.

The new 85,000 sf Alan Magee Scaife Hall of Engineering (Scaife Hall) features classrooms, labs, offices, and collaborative spaces for multidisciplinary teams, including robotics, AI, and tissue culturing. By co-locating researchers, the building fosters collaboration, drives exploration, and advances the University’s mission to transform society through innovation.

Our team developed furniture layouts for labs, offices, PhD areas, classrooms, and student lounge and café spaces.

With client-approved furniture plans, Spacesmith conducted specification research, ensuring the furniture complemented the architecture. To achieve this, we joined discussions with artist Jessica Stockholder, who’s permanent Scaife Hall installation, “Making Way,” informed the palette’s integration with the building’s design.

We delivered two to three options for every FF&E piece, including custom private office modules, lounge arrangements, modular classroom furniture, lecture halls, and highly functional labs.

Aligned with Spacesmith’s sustainability and health values, all specified furniture has BIMA Level certification, and finishes are Red List Free, ensuring safety and durability for the rigorous demands of a higher-education environment.