1st Place, Whole Building
For more than 80 years, Oklahoma State University’s Engineering South building has stood on Legacy Walk in Stillwater as a symbol of a proud institution. Designed in the Georgian architectural style and built in 1938, the 5-story building has seen generations of engineering and architecture students pass through its halls.
Engineering South had undergone several renovations over the decades, but by 2019 what was once a shining centerpiece no longer projected the inspiration it was built to foster. Inside, it had become a collection of dark corridors and closed doors and needed an update.
This is where OSU alumnus Rand Elliott, FAIA, saw an opportunity to transform his alma mater’s flagship engineering facility. After being selected through a competitive RFP process, Elliott and his firm, Rand Elliott Architects, embarked on a project that would prove to be not just a renovation, but an endeavor that would celebrate the building’s past while propelling it into the future.
A 12,000-square-foot addition housing the auditorium serves as an example of how new construction on the left can complement historic architecture on the right. 
HISTORIC: South elevation, circa 1938 
The historic Zodiac Lobby was restored. 
BEFORE: The entry lobby before renovation/restoration. 
The first-floor Zink Center is surrounded by the construction, making the building itself a teaching tool. 
The first-floor east gallery looking west showcases “The Energy of Engineering”. 
A new LED light column was added to the historic center stair. 
The second floor is home to electrical engineering. 
The second-floor lobby features a terrazzo floor with an inlaid magnetic-forces symbol. 
A third-floor classroom designed to radiate energy. 
The fourth floor’s exposed 1938 structural-steel framing, featuring original orange primer resembling OSU orange, provides flexible space for future growth. 
The 300-seat auditorium addition gains drama from bold forms, generous volume and natural light. The contemporary space still feels cohesive with its elder neighbor. 
OSU Engineering South combined floor plans (four floors). 
OSU Engineering South site plan
PHOTOS: Scott McDonald, Gray City Studios; BEFORE/HISTORIC PHOTOS: courtesy Rand Elliott Architects; DRAWINGS: Joe Williams, Assoc. AIA
Philosophy of Discovery
“For me, learning begins when you wonder what is under the building skin,” Elliott says. “Aspiring architects and engineers are curious. What is the structure? Can we expose it to show how the building was built? In fact, there is an original concrete form tag from 1937 that is now exposed for all to see. We discovered that the original steel roof structure is OSU orange. It was built by Robberson Steel and all the steel they erected had an orange primer.”
These kinds of discoveries became the foundation of the project’s central philosophy, which was to make the building itself a teaching tool. Rather than concealing the building’s structural bones, the design celebrates them, exposing bolts, beams and the authentic construction methods of 1938.
“Imagine a building that teaches architecture and engineering by simply being itself,” Elliott remarks. “What if we expose the structure, embrace the bolts and celebrate its history? What if we overlaid the history with the present and the future? We wanted the spaces to be functional and inspiring, current and filled with light.”
Extensive discussions with faculty, students and university leadership about what engineering truly means ultimately inspired these concepts. OSU Dean Jeff Young articulated a set of key themes: transformation, disruption, creation, innovation, evolution, imagination and even failure—referencing Thomas Edison’s famous perspective on his own 1,000 attempts to invent the lightbulb. These concepts would be woven throughout the design.
The renovation was able to maintain the building’s Georgian architectural integrity while reimagining the interior. Elliott’s team put particular focus on the Golden Section—the classical proportions that give Georgian architecture its inherent beauty. This ensured that new interventions would be compatible with, rather than duplicative of, historic details.
Light Touch
Perhaps the most dramatic transformation was in bringing natural light deep into the building’s interior spaces. What had been dim and closed off became transparent and inviting. A linear, light-filled ground-floor Gallery Hall now welcomes visitors. Exposed overhead structural elements help to tell the building’s story while LED lighting creates an energized atmosphere.
Each of the four upper floors serves a different curriculum with lobbies designed to radiate energy and invite exploration. The second floor is home to electrical engineering with inlaid terrazzo and stairway rails intersecting with contemporary lighting and glass. The third floor is for mechanical and aerospace engineering and features modern classrooms with an uplifting spirit.
The fourth floor’s grand studio and event hall features exposed 1938 structural-steel framing (with original orange primer resembling OSU orange) that celebrates engineering and architecture and provides flexible space for future growth.
Complementary Addition
In addition to the retrofit of the existing building, the project also includes a 12,000-square-foot addition housing a 300-seat auditorium. The 2-story structure relates to the original building through careful attention to materials, height and roofing profile, serving as an example of how new construction can complement historic architecture. A 2-story glass connector between old and new parts of the building stands as a transparent connection between its different eras.
The auditorium gains drama from bold forms, generous volume and natural light. It is a contemporary space that still feels cohesive with its elder neighbor. Additional program elements include eight new classrooms, conference rooms, lecture halls, three studio/lab spaces and a 5,000-square-foot makerspace. These are all designed to encourage cross-discipline collaboration and scholarly exchange.
Beyond aesthetics and function, the project fundamentally embraces sustainability through the act of adaptive reuse. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, the renovation preserves embodied carbon, energy and materials while incorporating modern systems and bringing the facility up to date.
New high-efficiency windows and mechanical systems improve performance, and LED lighting throughout reduces energy consumption. Fritted bird-safe glass at the entry connector demonstrates attention to environmental responsibility. The historic Zodiac lobby feature was carefully restored, honoring its original craftsmanship. In addition, plumbing systems were updated and water-saving fixtures were installed.
Out of the Dark
Elliott credits the project’s success to collaboration. The project team, composed largely of OSU graduates, had previously designed several campus buildings, including the adjacent Spears School of Business. That kind of experience brought a deep understanding of campus culture and needs.
“The most important thing we did on Engineering South was make it glow. We made the old better by showing it off and, most importantly, bringing it out of the dark,” Elliott says. “Now you can feel the energy of engineering.”
Since opening in 2023, the restored campus institution has drawn overwhelmingly positive response from the university community, validating Elliott’s collaborative approach.
“In pre-renovated Engineering South, there wasn’t much to get excited about,” says Dr. Jeffrey Young, OSU department head of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “There were a lot of dark hallways and closed doors. Since we opened the doors to the new version, students are saying, ‘I want to be here’.”
The transformation of Engineering South demonstrates that historic preservation and contemporary design are not conflicting concepts. By approaching renovation with curiosity, respect and vision, Elliott and his team were able to create a space where students can literally see how structures are built, where past and present coexist, and where the physical architecture itself becomes part of the curriculum. The project stands as evidence that the most sustainable building is often the one already standing. It just needs someone to imagine its potential and bring it into the light.
Judge’s Comment
A creative and innovative way to expose this structure for use as a teaching tool. I especially liked the way that modern innovations, like glass entry walls, were ‘slid’ into place within the historic building fabric—almost as if they’d always been there.
Daryl Johnson, AIA, NCARB, president, Johnson Architecture
Retrofit Team
Architect: Rand Elliott Architects
- Rand Elliott, FAIA
- Dallin Reese
- Joe Williams, Assoc. AIA
General Contractor: Willowbrook Construction Services
Civil Engineer: Wallace Design Collective
Structural Engineer: Mark Eudaley Engineers
Mechanical Engineer: Alvine
Materials
Windows: 750 and 910 Series from Thermal Windows
Curtainwall: 1600 SS from Kawneer
Pavers: Holland Stone in Autumn Blend from Borgert
Natural-stone Cladding: Strip Himachal Black from Island Stone
