When the Digital Futures building officially opens to the public on September 23, the greater Cincinnati region will be one step closer to creating a world-class innovation district in Uptown Cincinnati. The highly anticipated building provides a transdisciplinary space to bring together University of Cincinnati (UC) experts for collaboration that will impact the community, region and global society.
The Digital Futures building is the centerpiece of the Digital Futures Complex, a $200 million mixed-use landmark and an anchor to the Cincinnati Innovation District® (CID). The groundbreaking took place in 2019 with Terrex Development & Construction and Messer Construction. A topping-out ceremony followed in 2021. The building is quickly coming alive as tenants of the six-floor building have been steadily moving in throughout the summer.
Leading up to the building’s public opening, Uptown Consortium, Inc. (UCI) has engaged in several efforts in the last few months, including:
A walking tour and mobility discussion at Martin Luther King (MLK) Drive and Reading Road near the I-71 interchange.
A behind-the-scenes tour and group discussion of the building’s features and amenities.
Outreach to the building’s earliest team members—individuals who are working in some of the labs and centers—to ask for programmatic updates about the new building and how it feels to be among the first employees there.
Making Way For People: The Future Is Now
Transportation connectivity and access have been key focus areas for UCI. The work has taken on new urgency at MLK and Reading Road as people continue moving into the Digital Futures building and construction nears completion on the second office building.
In late July, a group of transportation enthusiasts, experts and stakeholders convened for a walking tour at MLK and Reading Road to share input and ideas to help advance a collective goal of improving multimodal access and connectivity in Uptown. According to Beth Robinson, UCI’s President and CEO, a connected district is a priority as the Uptown Cincinnati region continues to grow.
UCI has been working to develop mobility solutions for MLK and Reading Road to meet the needs of all users, whether they walk, bike, drive or use public transit. “The MLK and Reading Road intersection is a vital thoroughfare serving the Uptown hospitals, University, and neighborhood residents and businesses. We aim to improve multimodal connectivity without compromising the important function it serves,” Robinson said.
UCI invited partner stakeholders and experts who understand the need and are working on addressing some of the challenges to share their perspectives during the mobility tour: why mobility and access are essential and mobility concerns and challenges. It was a lively, productive discussion to share insights and ideas in consultation with transportation officials and experts.
Cincinnati City Council member Mark Jeffreys is focused on helping solve pedestrian and transportation safety issues and joined the tour and discussion. “I joined Uptown Consortium and local stakeholders to discuss mobility challenges/solutions at the intersection of MLK Dr. and Reading Rd. By prioritizing pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access, we can safely move people through Cincinnati's Innovation District,” Jeffreys said.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour: A First-Hand Look
The Digital Futures building tour allowed many stakeholders, who have been engaged since the beginning, to see first-hand how UC researchers and students connect with industries focused on developing solutions to problems in the digital world.
“This was an exciting opportunity for our institutional members and committees, including our MLK/Reading Road Steering Committee, to get a sneak peek,” said Robinson. “It is thrilling to walk through the building and anticipate what’s to come.”
Tony Almaguer, Managing Director for the Digital Futures building, led the tour. In this role, Almaguer supports the research labs in Digital Futures, so those faculty and research teams can organize events and programming to engage the research community and Greater Cincinnati.
"The Digital Futures research program is all about moonshot thinking and use-inspired, applied research. In this dynamic new research facility, some of our top talent (faculty, students, and staff) are coming together with their partners in industry, government and the community to solve problems that matter,” said Jennifer H. Krivickas, UC’s associate vice president for research.
Cream + Sugar Coffee Opens in Digital Futures
Digital Futures now offers coffee service on-site, including freshly-made coffee, tea and pastries by Black-owned coffee shop, Cream + Sugar. The Cream + Sugar team will be set up at Digital Futures floor 1 café space every Tuesday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. This is a great option for anyone in the area who may be interested in stopping by to support one of our local community businesses. The Digital Futures building has plenty of spaces for people to gather, meet and enjoy great coffee and conversation.
The Digital Futures Building Grand Opening: Friday, September 23 11:30am-4pm
Next month, UC will cut the ribbon on one of the most important physical developments in its history when they officially open the new Digital Futures complex near the Martin Luther King interchange at I-71. This 189,000-square-foot facility — an anchor of the Cincinnati Innovation District — will be home to 17 innovative research labs filled with interdisciplinary teams of researchers and students focused on “solving problems that matter to our society.”
Stay tuned for details and join the University of Cincinnati during the grand opening on September 23 from 11:30 am - 4 pm. Visit the Digital Futures website today and sign up to be notified about grand opening details.
Digital Futures Labs and Centers: Co-Creating Solutions to the Problems that Matter
UCI spoke with a few UC employees working inside Digital Futures for an insider’s look at how the building focuses on being an invitational place where faculty, students, and staff can come together and where individuals from the business community and other organizations can co-create solutions to problems. Each group provided an overview of their organization and favorite things about working in the building, the CID and Uptown Cincinnati.
“The Digital Futures building is truly an interdisciplinary research facility.”
Jones directs the educational programming and research activities of the lab. The Kautz-Uible Cryptoeconomics Lab provides a physical space where researchers, students and companies study blockchain technology's and digital assets' impact on the future economy. Michael grew up in Eastern Kentucky and moved to Cincinnati 20 years ago for family and work.
What is your favorite thing about working in the Digital Futures building?
The Digital Futures building is truly an interdisciplinary research facility, and cryptoeconomics research requires expertise in multiple domains. I can walk down the hall and consult with researchers at the cybersecurity lab, the artificial intelligence (AI) lab, the augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) lab, and many other labs whenever I need answers to some of my questions.
What are some of the amenities the building offers or an amenity coming online this fall?
Cryptoeconomics is a relatively new field. At the moment, educational programming will be a key priority for the lab. We have amazing facilities and technology to host workshops and corporate education for the community. Several nonprofit organizations will also be located in the building. As a researcher, I can easily collaborate and receive feedback from downstream users of crypto technology.
What do you like about being in Uptown Cincinnati?
I live and work in Clifton, and so I love being able to ride my bike to work. I appreciate how local leaders and planners will be upgrading the infrastructure to be more pedestrian and bike friendly.
“It feels like we’re working in the heart of where innovation begins.”
Learning by Design is a transdisciplinary cooperative of research laboratories in the Digital Futures Initiative within the University of Cincinnati. Learning by Design consists of researchers and designers in Communication Design, Education, Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Education Psychology.
The lab conducts rigorous and robust research on all aspects of digital innovations to advance inclusive experiences in literacy and learning across the lifespan. Learning By Design partners with practitioners, families, policymakers and stakeholders in school and community settings
Renee is from Cincinnati and has worked in other places but returned because of the opportunity to work in the College of Design Architecture, Art, and Planning as a professor and to come and work on transdisciplinary research with other researchers at the University. Also, her family is in Cincinnati, and she likes living near them.
Allison is from Northern Ohio. The Ph.D. program in Communication Science and Disorders at UC inspired her to move to Cincinnati because of cutting-edge and grant-funded work to build leaders in language and literacy research.
Ying is from China. She considers Cincinnati as her hometown. She spent 11 years of her professional career at UC, as a professor of education. She has been working with other scholars at the University in language and literacy research.
What is your favorite thing about working in the Digital Futures building?
Our favorite part about working in the building is the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from all over campus and how to leverage our areas of expertise to further address literacy and learning across the lifespan.
What are some of the amenities the building offers or an amenity coming online this fall?
From the common meeting spacing to the shared kitchen area, to the local small business food vendors selling their goods, to the beautiful lab space provided, the building is at the forefront of building a functional collaborative work environment.
What do you like about being in Uptown Cincinnati?
It feels like we’re working in the heart of where innovation begins.
“I appreciate the open, naturally lighted space that promotes unscheduled hallway conversation.”
The XR-Lab explores how people engage with simulated scenarios through Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality and promotes communication and collaboration through XR for education, health care and professional training.
Ming taught at the Savannah College of Art and Design before he joined UC in 2010. UC has an excellent infrastructure to support research, and its well-known co-op program are the two primary reasons he joined UC.
What is your favorite thing about working in the Digital Futures building?
The opportunities to see other research activities at the Digital Futures building, which has not been very visible when labs were separated in each college.
What are some of the amenities the building offers or an amenity coming online this fall?
As an architect, I appreciate the open, naturally lighted space that promotes unscheduled hallway conversation.
What do you like about being in Uptown?
Easier commute and accessibility.
“Our research aims to improve health, mobility, and performance for all people. ”
In the Advanced Human Performance & Neuromechanics Lab, research is conducted to understand, maintain, restore, and improve human performance. The emphasis is on understanding how people control movement. The research aims to improve health, mobility, and performance for all people, from elite athletes to individuals with neurologic or musculoskeletal deficits that impair movement. The work combines perspectives from biomechanics, neuroscience, rehabilitation sciences, cognitive science, engineering, and other fields, and employs an array of technologies and innovative methodologies for recording and analyzing human movement.
Michael grew up in central Louisiana and moved to Cincinnati for a job at UC right after completing a Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut.
What is your favorite thing about working in the Digital Futures building?
My favorite things are our brand new, customized lab space, the proximity to so many other amazing labs and colleagues, and the overall atmosphere of innovation and interdisciplinarity.
What are some of the amenities the building offers or an amenity coming online this fall?
Besides the lab facilities and other research infrastructure, the building has lots of comfortable spaces for working, holding meetings, and inviting the kind of unplanned and informal interactions that often lead to new ideas and projects.
What do you like about being in Uptown Cincinnati?
The central location makes it accessible from most places in the metro area, and the convenience of proximity to the UC campus and Cincinnati Children’s. I’m also excited about the many new and upcoming projects in Uptown, such as the Innovation Greenway.