Before the creation of the Ware Lab, student engineering projects were in many different engineering buildings, in any space available. Though the projects did well in competitions, finding sponsorship and a place to machine or weld parts was very difficult for undergraduate students. With a generous gift from Mr. Joseph Fulton Ware Jr., the projects were consolidated in a facility known as the Joseph Fulton Ware Jr. Advanced Engineering Laboratory, or "Ware Lab" for short. The first projects moved into the Ware Lab in June 1998, with others soon following. Arthur Klages’ generous contribution created the Klages Machine Shop. This gave undergraduate students a place where they could create their own parts and learn about how design and material choices affect the ability of the parts to be manufactured.
In 2006, with the help of the Virignia Tech Student Engineers’ Council, the entire lab was renovated. Every surface in the lab was repainted, new showroom funiture was added, and computers were added to the CAD lab. Pictures showing visitors the projects “in action” are now displayed throughout the facility. Today the lab is still expanding, adding a Multi Project Bay for smaller design teams to use as a place to work and store their projects.
Check out the renovation photos!
