Leveraging the Past to Guide the Future: Omni speaks at SCUP Southern Regional Conference

Representatives from Omni Architects, HERA Laboratory Planners, and Northern Kentucky University co-presented at the SCUP Southern Regional Conference on October 28, sharing insights during a session titled “Leveraging the Past to Guide the Future of STEM Education.”

Presenters included Eric Zabilka, AIA, president of Omni Architects; Mary Paula Schuh, Senior Director of Planning, Design & Construction at Northern Kentucky University; and Matt Wilmus, laboratory planner with HERA. Of particular interest, both Eric and Mary Paula were directly involved in the design and construction of the original Herrmann Science Center when it was completed in 1997.

The presentation explored a rare opportunity—revisiting a building originally designed by the same team nearly three decades earlier. Omni and HERA, the architects of the original facility, are now leading its expansion. Few architects have the chance to return to a past project, evaluate how it has supported generations of students and faculty, and apply those lessons to a new chapter of the building’s evolution.

The panel discussed how shifts in pedagogy, technology, and sustainability have reshaped the needs of STEM environments, reflecting on which design elements have endured and where opportunities for improvement exist. Together, the team illustrated how understanding the past can inform the future of science education spaces—ensuring the next generation of facilities is even more adaptable, inspiring, and resilient.

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