The LCB R+D Initiative is a natural extension of the decade-plus-long collaboration between Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning (Taubman College) and the College of Engineering (CoE). Since the opening of the FabLAB at Taubman College in 2009, the cohort of researchers have established themselves as leaders in digital fabrication and computational design in the US that includes the launch of a post-professional Master of Science degree program in Digital and Material Technologies in 2012. With the cohort’s growth and evolution, the Architectural Computational Design and Construction Cluster was formed at Taubman College in 2021, with the expressed intention to further develop multi-disciplinary collaborations to tackle building-scale innovations. Across the CoE, areas of expertise related to building technology include robotics, construction engineering and construction management, building energy systems efficiency, supply chain analysis, and geo and structural engineering for resilient infrastructure. Within the CoE, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s (CEE) Strategic Directions focus on areas such as construction automation, low-carbon building materials, smart infrastructure systems, and environmentally sustainable design. 

Over the years, collaboration between Taubman and CoE faculty, along with diverse industry and community partners, have led to successful research projects resulting in impactful publications, patents, and accolades such as prestigious design awards. The Urban Collaboratory was jointly developed and launched in 2017 to focus on novel smart city design solutions. Other cross-campus relationships were built, including partnerships with the Office of the Vice President for Research, School of Environment and Sustainability, Ross School of Business, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, Institute for Social Research, Graham Sustainability Institute, Global CO2 Initiative, and Erb Institute.