New Construction Field Lab Launches at Texas A&M-RELLIS Campus
Texas A&M’s College of Architecture unveiled its new Construction Field Lab (CFL) at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus during a June 23 ceremony.
Located at the southwest corner of the RELLIS campus, the Construction Field Lab is a collaborative project led by the Texas A&M College of Architecture, built in partnership with the U.S. Air Force 560th RED HORSE Squadron and supported by industry donors and former students.
After two years of planning, the College of Architecture partnered with the RED HORSE Squadron through an Educational Partnership Agreement to build the CFL. The collaboration provided hands-on training for airmen in planning and construction while delivering a functional facility.
Dr. Patrick Suermann, interim dean of the College of Architecture, said the CFL is a practical space designed to integrate applied learning environments for Texas A&M students across multiple disciplines.
“The Construction Field Lab will provide more space for us to teach students from across the college high-impact, hands-on learning and partner with our industry professionals for classes, camps, outreach, recruiting and field exercises that we previously never were able to accomplish,” Suermann said.
The 4,000-square-foot building gives students room to experience real-world construction projects just minutes from the main campus. The CFL also includes an adjacent GroundFORCE modular classroom.
Building with Purpose
Designed by local firm Arkitex Studio, the building features an open-concept, two-wall Muellar metal structure to accommodate a wide range of hands-on activities. The design allows clear visibility into the building’s framework and assembly, making the space ideal for teaching structural concepts.
“The structure is unique in itself, just being a two-walled [pre-engineered building], which I’ve never seen,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Leming of RED HORSE. “… Because it’s typically four walls, a bay door and you’re done. This is a little bit different of a design.”
Suermann said the site enables more students to participate in practical learning experiences, such as on-site fabrication, construction exercises and innovative demonstrations.
Texas A&M students will be able to participate in the first class at the CFL beginning this fall, according to David Goltz, director of the Department of Construction Science’s Automated Fabrication & Design Lab. Goltz said regular classes will start in the spring 2026 semester.
Before this facility, the college’s only comparable hands-on opportunity required students to travel abroad.
“We send students thousands of miles to the United Kingdom to perform some hands-on construction at the Constructionarium site,” Suermann said. “While this is a great activity, we want to have areas nearby campus where we can do these sorts of activities — plus embrace technological shifts in our industries, such as laser scanning, drones, LiDAR and making things in our Innovation Hubs.”
The CFL will serve as a controlled, near-campus environment where students can experience every phase of a construction project, including plan reading, equipment handling, vertical construction and material testing.
Goltz said students will construct one-tenth scale versions of recognizable landmarks, such as the Reunion Tower in Dallas.
“As one of our industry leaders told me, we graduate great students right now, but we would graduate even better students if they had more hands-on knowledge,” Suermann said.
Support the Future of Hands-On Learning
The CFL was made possible through the generous support of donations and gifts in kind, with key contributions from Charlie Ferrara ’89 and Teddy Peinado ’88. CEO of GroundFORCE Kenneth Neatherlin ’86 supplied the modular classroom. Opifex, founded by Jay Vaughn ’19, Stefan Grisham ’18 and Cooper Cox ’18, provided complimentary equipment rentals.
To support the College of Architecture, visit arch.tamu.edu/about/giving/ or contact Dr. Evelyn Waiwaiole Rhoades at ewaiwaiole@txamfoundation.com or 512-762-6398.
