University of Arizona Grand Challenges Research Building

• Near-100% accurate BIM-to-field layouts
• Fewer layout errors near sensitive labs
• Faster crew coordination, 6-story build

Kitchell selected Dusty Robotics' FieldPrinter for the Grand Challenges Research Building because the project combined a tight, phased construction schedule with the kind of precision layout work that flexible wet and dry labs, quantum and optics research spaces, and interdisciplinary collaboration zones demand. With the building's scope evolving during design and construction crews working alongside vibration-sensitive research neighbors in the adjacent Meinel Optical Sciences Building, the team needed a way to translate BIM models directly onto the slab without compounding manual layout error.

FieldPrinter let Kitchell's crews print reference points, walls, and MEP coordination markings straight from the model onto the floor at each level as the six-story structure rose. That direct BIM-to-field connection reduced the risk of rework in a building whose lab, teaching, and maker-space programming required tight tolerances, and it kept trades aligned with the architects' evolving design as the project moved from a five-story concept toward its final configuration.

The scope of the Grand Challenges Research Building evolved substantially during planning, growing from an initially proposed five-story concept to as many as ten stories before settling at six, which meant construction crews had to adapt to shifting floor plans and layout coordination requirements as design work continued.

Building directly next to the existing, actively used Meinel Optical Sciences Building added another layer of difficulty: crews needed advanced modeling and logistics planning to avoid disrupting vibration-sensitive research equipment nearby, and any layout inaccuracy carried a higher risk of costly rework given the building's dense mix of wet and dry labs, mechanical systems, and specialized research infrastructure.

Before FieldPrinter, construction crews on large research-lab projects like the Grand Challenges Research Building would typically lay out points and reference lines by hand, pulling measurements from paper plans or a tablet and marking the slab with chalk lines, tape, and hand-held instruments. On a six-story building where lab, teaching, and interdisciplinary research spaces demanded tight coordination between structural, MEP, and equipment layouts, this manual approach left more room for measurement drift and made it harder to catch conflicts before installation began.

Kitchell used Dusty Robotics FieldPrinter to print BIM-derived reference points and layout lines directly onto the slab at each level of the Grand Challenges Research Building as the structure rose from foundation to its sixth story. That direct connection between the architectural and MEP models and the job site floor helped crews position walls, equipment pads, and coordination points accurately in a building whose program mixed flexible wet and dry labs, teaching spaces, and four dedicated research centers.

By printing near-100 percent accurate layouts on the floor instead of relying on tape measures and paper plans, the project team reduced the chance of the kind of layout error that typically drives rework and schedule slippage on complex lab buildings. That accuracy mattered even more given the building's proximity to the vibration-sensitive Meinel Optical Sciences Building, where any misaligned foundation or structural work risked disrupting adjacent research equipment, and it helped keep the $99 million, 34-month construction schedule on track through a scope that grew and shifted along the way.

The Grand Challenges Research Building also used prefabricated construction alongside FieldPrinter, with roughly 245 facade panels built off-site to reduce labor demand by up to 30 percent and shave about two months off the schedule. The completed facility is LEED Gold certified, with all-electric infrastructure and chilled beam HVAC supporting the University of Arizona's 2040 carbon-neutrality goal.