‘Our own building’: Students tour Academic Success Building construction site
INDIANAPOLIS — Five Purdue students donned hard hats, safety glasses and neon vests for a firsthand look at a project they had long watched from beyond the construction fencing: the Academic Success Building (ASB) rising alongside Michigan Street in downtown Indianapolis.
Earlier this month, students representing engineering, science, polytechnic and business toured the first five floors of the 15-story building currently under construction. Rick Emery, project executive in capital asset management for Purdue’s Administrative Operations, led the group to point out features that will soon define how students live, learn and connect in the capital city.
The tour began at what will become the secured residential entrance. Emery explained how the building, set to be completed in 2027, is designed to balance academics and housing, with controlled access between residence hall areas and classroom and academic spaces. Elevators will separate residential and academic traffic, with an optimized route during events held on the outdoor terrace.
From the fifth-floor interior, Emery showed the group part of the mechanical systems required to bring the building to life, which will soon be encased by walls, including a series of plumbing supply lines for sinks, the HVAC cooling systems and the sprinkler system. “See those pipes? They run all the way up and down the chase and branch out on each floor,” he said. “They are the fire protection lines.” While all of the lines will soon be out of the public view, he stressed their importance for the building to function.
For Ishita Mukadam, a sophomore studying biomedical engineering, the scale and openness of the building stood out the most from the fifth-floor terrace, her favorite area so far.
“Seeing the city from the terrace area really shows how Indianapolis is expanding vertically,” Mukadam said.
The building’s evolution carries special meaning for Mukadam, who has worked with Purdue Admissions since fall 2024. She has shared the building’s story with prospective students from the beginning.
“It was a parking lot. Then it was a hole. Then it was a frame,” she said. “Now it’s an actual building. There will be lab spaces, classrooms, lecture spaces, study spaces, a marketplace and a cafe for students. I’m excited to be part of this building process and see it from the ground up.”
Sophomore Ray Hirano, a cybersecurity major based in Indianapolis, said the ASB represents both progress and possibility.
“It’s very cool to see we have our own building, owned by Purdue, built by Purdue,” Hirano said. “It’s the tallest building on our campus.”
Hirano, who began working as a peer tutor in spring 2025, expects the facility to become his professional and social hub once it opens next summer.
“My office as a peer tutor will be there, and I can study and be with friends,” he said. “Pretty much everything you need will be in the building.”
The 248,000-square-foot Academic Success Building will be the centerpiece of Purdue’s expansion in the capital city, with the ability to evolve with the demands of experiential education. As construction continues, the ASB is already shaping how Purdue students envision their future in Indianapolis.