The Center for the Sciences and Innovation (CSI)

The Center for the Sciences and Innovation (CSI) is the campus hub for collaborative learning and “productive collisions” for all students at Trinity. The University began construction of CSI in 2010,and the building was completed in 2014. The $127 million dollar project is still the largest construction project the University has ever undertaken.

The space was designed by the Boston-based firm of Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture and Engineering in partnership with the San Antonio firm of RVK Architects and a committee of faculty and staff to provide state-of-the-art research, classroom, and study facilities for faculty and students. The collective goal of the science departments was for the building to put “science on display.”

“Our intention is to make people walk past our labs and see what is going on and share in the excitement.” - David Ribble, biology department

The five-story building also features a rooftop observatory, a living “green” roof, rooftop greenhouse, an open-air innovation and design studio, and a landscaped bioswale that captures and filters rainwater.

With such large scale changes, there were admittedly some growing pains for students during the transition period. The four-plus years of construction required adjustments and patience, but on the whole everyone was excited about the addition of CSI to the campus. The building is seen as a token of the Tiger spirit and the trajectory of the University itself. Like the students and faculty, the building is adaptive, forward-thinking, and cutting-edge.

In response to the construction, one professor explained, “Trinity students are definitely adaptable. They will not be inconvenienced. They own adversity and make it cool.”

Tiger pride in the building was felt even before its completion. One construction worker reported being asked for an autograph by multiple students, adding “I don’t know why everyone is getting so passionate about the work we are doing.”

But take a walk through the open, expansive atrium or spend a late night study session tucked in a cozy corner with floor-to-ceiling views, and you will understand.