LAB TOURS

Morning Tour - Option A

Siemens Energy Orlando Innovation Campus

Morning Tour - Option B

Florida Polytechnic University: Barnett Applied Research Center and Innovation, Science and Technology Building

Afternoon Tour

Iron Bridge Regional Water Reclamation Facility

Siemens Energy Orlando Innovation Campus

May 14, 2026
Departure time will be 8:15 am and you will return by 11:30 am

The Orlando Innovation Campus (OIC) is designed as a multidisciplinary hub where technology, engineering, and design expertise converge to accelerate innovation. With dedicated spaces such as the Innovation Center Orlando, Technology Application Center, and Additive Manufacturing Application Center, the campus supports every stage of development—from concept and prototyping to validation and deployment. For lab planners and architects, OIC demonstrates how strategically integrated facilities can foster collaboration across disciplines while enabling rapid iteration and evaluation of new technologies, including those focused on decarbonization and sustainability.

By uniting diverse capabilities under one roof, the OIC creates a dynamic environment that supports cross-pollination of ideas, reduces project timelines, and maximizes the value of shared expertise. The facility not only advances manufacturing and repair innovations but also serves as a model for how built environments can be programmed to enhance adaptability and end-to-end problem-solving. For those shaping future research and innovation spaces, OIC offers an inspiring example of how intentional design and co-location of resources can transform ambitious ideas into scalable, real-world solutions.

Florida Polytechnic University: Barnett Applied Research Center and Innovation, Science and Technology Building 

May 14, 2026
Departure time will be 8:15 am and you will return by 11:30 am

The Barnett Applied Research Center (BARC) at Florida Polytechnic University expands the campus’s academic and research capabilities with a flexible, high-performance environment that fosters collaboration, entrepreneurship, and connectivity. Housing research labs, teaching spaces, student design areas, faculty offices, and conference rooms, the two-story facility complements Santiago Calatrava’s iconic IST Building while establishing its own architectural presence as a transparent, light-filled hub of innovation. Organized around a dramatic multi-story atrium, the BARC maximizes natural light, promotes interaction, and accommodates future growth. Strategically positioned to enhance pedestrian flow and visible from Interstate 4, the building serves as both a catalyst for industry partnerships and a powerful symbol of Florida Poly’s commitment to research, technology, and regional impact.

The Innovation, Science, & Technology (IST) Building at Florida Polytechnic University is an architectural and academic landmark designed to embody the university’s vision for STEM innovation. As the first academic building on campus, its striking white dome, robotic sun-tracking louvers, and sweeping metal pergolas create a dramatic yet functional presence that anchors the university’s identity. Inside, the IST houses 26 classrooms, 11 innovation labs, faculty offices, the Aula Magna auditorium, and a vibrant 11,000-sf Commons that fosters collaboration and creativity. From advanced robotics projects to entrepreneurial ventures, the IST serves as a dynamic hub where students, faculty, and industry come together to shape the future of technology.

Iron Bridge Regional Water Reclamation Facility 

May 14, 2026
Departure time will be 12:30 pm and you will return by 4:00 pm

The Iron Bridge Laboratory, formally known as Environmental Laboratory Services, supports the City of Orlando by providing critical environmental testing and analysis. Established in 1982, the lab monitors wastewater across the city’s three treatment plants, surface water from Orlando’s lakes and wetlands, and waste from large-scale industries. Certified for 85 parameters in non-potable water and solids, with specialties in wet chemistry, metals, and microbiology, the lab is accredited through the Florida Department of Health in accordance with The NELAC Institute Standard.

Staffed by a team of eight professionals with more than a century of combined service to the City and 125 years of collective expertise in environmental chemistry, the laboratory delivers roughly 80,000 results annually. Rapid turnaround is a hallmark of its operations: 84 percent of results are available within 24 hours, and 95 percent within a week, enabling treatment plants to respond quickly and efficiently. Results are shared through a repository database, allowing real-time access. Over its four decades, the lab has evolved through major improvements—including consolidating three separate labs into one, upgrading instrumentation, and refining facilities—all while maintaining its essential role in protecting Orlando’s water systems.