OU EXXONMOBIL LAWRENCE G. RAWL
ENGINEERING PRACTICE FACILITY
THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

The ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility was designed as a two-story, world-class interactive learning environment to bring all disciplines of OU engineering students into one centralized location. Located on The University of Oklahoma's Engineering Quadrangle just adjacent to Devon Energy Hall, the building features exposed concrete beams from the stairwell to the glass-front electrical room and thoughtfully exposed structural, electrical, and mechanical elements in key spaces throughout the building.

 The facility is composed of five practice bays, a leadership area, a bench lab, and collaborative space.  The practice bays are located on the first floor of the facility with four of these being high-bay spaces that open to the second floor and provide hoists for the movement of large, heavy objects. The fifth bay is a single-story, closed bay which is separated from the rest of the facility by glass walls and provides ample room for projects that generate dust and dirt. Here, students design and build concrete canoes, solar race cars, and other design-build engineering projects. Bi-fold hangar doors open onto a lawn facing a major campus thoroughfare, allowing engineering students to display their projects and giving the public a broader understanding of engineering education. For a hands-on application of smaller projects, there is bench lab space for students to work on circuit boards and apply hands-on concepts that are discussed in the classroom.

 The Leadership Area is located on the second floor and provides project rooms and open-meeting areas for impromptu student gatherings as well as a centralized location for career planning and tutoring assistance. Team Rooms are included on both floors and provide twenty-four-hour access for students working on projects. Additional collaboration space is located on the second-floor gallery and overlooks the open practice bays on the first floor. 

This one-of-a-kind facility provides an impressive showcase for engineering education with the goal of giving engineering students a better understanding of their future career paths.