Fraser Hall – Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Facility

The transformed Fraser Hall brings the University of Minnesota’s undergraduate general, life sciences and organic chemistry programs together in one modern teaching facility. Working in partnership with Mortenson, Horwitz delivered design-assist services and the building’s complex mechanical and plumbing systems, including laboratory ventilation, room and zone pressure controls, fume hood systems, acid waste piping and underground plumbing infrastructure.

We supported the project through more than four years of preconstruction, leading BIM coordination and clash detection while collaborating with the project team to identify value-management solutions without compromising the facility’s quality or functionality. Extensive prefabrication—including mechanical rooms, plumbing groups, sheet metal assemblies, acid waste systems and multi-trade racks—helped us improve quality, safety and installation efficiency. Energy recovery systems and a heat recovery chiller also contribute to the building’s long-term energy performance.

Now serving more than 5,000 students across over 120 majors each year, Fraser Hall provides 18 active-learning laboratories, classrooms and collaborative spaces designed to advance science education. The project was recognized as one of Finance & Commerce’s Top Projects of 2025, celebrating the innovation, coordination and craftsmanship that brought this complex teaching facility to life.