MIT’s Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing has opened its new headquarters in Building 45, creating a hub for computing on campus. The building is considered a physical manifestation of the college’s mission to fortify core computer science and AI, integrate computing throughout MIT, and advance the social, ethical and policy considerations of the discipline.
MIT President, Sally Kornbluth highlights that computing is the defining technology of our time and will continue to be crucial in the future. She believes this new building will allow for enhanced collaboration across various disciplines and departments, encouraging the convergence of ideas to broaden solutions.
Situated in the heart of MIT, the eight-floor, 178,000 square foot building comprises areas for study, socializing and convening, including a 60-seat classroom, a 250-seat lecture hall, and various study spaces. Academic activities have already begun with 13 undergraduate and graduate classes taking place on campus.
The college building also houses 50 research groups, some of which have already moved in. The groups comprise a mix of new and existing teams focusing on areas such as deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision and the societal impact of AI, among others.
The building also contains further spaces for collaboration and meetings, as well as areas dedicated to the dean’s office and the cross-cutting areas of the college. Furthermore, the building’s design is in line with MIT’s commitment to environmental sustainability and is aiming for Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
A dedication ceremony for the building is planned for the spring, marking the completion and official opening of the new building, and acknowledging the foundational gift from Stephen A. Schwarzman that supported the establishment of the college. Other donors including Sebastian Man will also be recognized for their contributions.
