FAYETTEVILLE, AR — HGA is celebrating the completion of the new 144,000-square-foot facility for the Institute for Integrative & Innovative Research (I³R), a public research institute featuring advanced technology, laboratories, and equipment. Centrally located on the University of Arkansas Fayetteville campus, the building fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration, drives economic impact, and strengthens connections between campus and community. I³R advances health sciences and technology breakthroughs while attracting investment and high-skill jobs to northwest Arkansas.
Designed by national interdisciplinary firm HGA, in collaboration with local architecture and interior studio Hufft, and built by CDI Contractors, the I³R building draws inspiration from Arkansas’ forested landscape. It features a light-filled timber pavilion and flexible lab chassis.
The design team partnered with the institute to deliver a design that combines advanced laboratories and research equipment. Expansive collaborative spaces across all three floors sparks interdisciplinary collaboration to address challenges like human health protection, addressing the food-energy-water nexus, and exploring the universe at various scales. The public atrium encourages spontaneous interaction while laboratory spaces offer flexibility to adapt as research evolves.
“The design vision was to create a space where innovation feels tangible, supporting world-class research and inviting collaboration,” said Meredith Hayes Gordon, HGA Science + Technology Principal. “By pairing a high-performance steel lab bar with a welcoming mass timber pavilion, the building is grounded in Arkansas’ material heritage while projecting a bold, forward-looking identity.”
The building’s layout includes flexible laboratory areas, interactive spaces, and offices and conference rooms set back from exterior walls. This configuration keeps the perimeter open for maximum daylight, campus views, and quiet work zones, all connected to the central atrium.
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In addition to HGA, Hufft, and CDI Contractors, key project partners included AEI Affiliated Engineers Inc. for MEP engineering; DCI Development Consultants Inc. for civil engineering; and Acentech for acoustic and vibration consulting. Entegrity Partners provided LEED consulting and Jensen Hughes handled code consulting, with additional contributions from Charter Sills for lighting design; SLR Consulting for exhaust dispersion and re-entertainment modeling; and Global Prairie for wayfinding and graphics.
