MAPP Celebrates Ribbon Cutting for LSU's Interdisciplinary Science Building

The LSU community, leading donors, and friends of the university gathered on campus to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building, an epicenter for academics, research, and industry collaboration that provides a scholarly home for more than 1,150 students, faculty, and researchers.

MAPP was proud to serve as Construction Manager at Risk on the Interdisciplinary Science Building, delivering the project through a demanding three-phase construction sequence in which each phase had to be fully completed and turned over before the next could begin. Throughout preconstruction and construction, the team worked closely with the design partners to identify and resolve potential challenges early, perform detailed constructability reviews, engage key trade partners, and carefully sequence work to minimize disruptions on LSU's active campus. These efforts helped protect the project's guaranteed maximum price while keeping the project on track. MAPP ultimately delivered the more than $92 million project ahead of schedule and under budget.

The project was made possible through a $15 million investment from FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake, a $10 million investment from LCMC Health, and a $5 million gift from Dr. Mary and Ron Neal, whose donation launched the fundraising effort. LSU donors contributed a total of $43 million, while the State of Louisiana provided $105 million in funding. The building was designed by EskewDumezRipple and PAYETTE to anchor a new pedestrian corridor connecting LSU's historic core with the university's modern campus.

The four-story, $148 million facility spans 148,000 square feet at the corner of South Stadium Drive and Tower Drive and supports five academic disciplines: biological sciences, chemistry, geology and geophysics, mathematics, and physics and astronomy. It closes more than half of LSU's previous gap in modern teaching and laboratory space, helping the university accelerate graduation timelines for students pursuing high-demand STEM degrees. Signature spaces include a first-of-its-kind collaborative auditorium, dedicated data visualization and trace metals labs, flexible teaching and research laboratories, and the LSU Theoretical Institute, a research incubator for theoretical sciences and mathematics.

Working alongside EskewDumezRipple and PAYETTE, MAPP helped bring to life a facility designed to inspire discovery, collaboration, and innovation for generations to come. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, LSU President Wade Rousse called the opening a transformative moment for STEM education and research, recognizing the partnership between the State of Louisiana, industry leaders such as FMOL Health, and dedicated alumni that made the project possible.

MAPP is honored to have played a role in bringing this vision to life and looks forward to seeing the next generation of scientists, researchers, and healthcare leaders learn, discover, and innovate within its walls.

Read more about the ribbon cutting and Interdisciplinary Science Building from LSU.