Student Hall for Exploration and Development

The Story Behind the SHED

"The Student Hall for Exploration and Development (the SHED) officially opened with the start of the fall semester [of the 2023 academic year], and was dedicated on October 12, 2023. The SHED is the most ambitious construction project undertaken since the Henrietta campus was created in 1968. More than just a building, the SHED is an impressive demonstration of the RIT experience" (credit).

A large chunk of the funding that kickstarted the effort was portioned from a $50 million dollar donation from Austin McChord (RIT Class of '09), the founder of Datto, a data-protection and cybersecurity company based out of Connecticut. The total cost of construction was expected to exceed $100 million, where $17.5 million was set aside from Mr. McChord

With the goal of making the SHED an integral part of campus, there was a naming competition amongst the students. Jonathan Dharmadi (RIT Class of '22) won this competition with his submission of "The Student Hall of Exploration and Development (SHED)."