Due to a generous donation from the Gianforte Family Foundation, the MSU Computer Science Department will have a new home. Being able to consolidate all CS classes into one "home" is an essential benefit for students and faculty. It is strategically located south of Roberts Hall, EPS, and Norm Asbornson Hall. Additionally space is being provided for studios for Arts and Architecture, particularly those with technology needs.
Montana State University broke ground in April 2025 for a new building that will house the Gianforte School of Computing and provide space for computing-related fields, including cybersecurity, film, photography and music technologies.
The three-story building was made possible by a $50 million gift from the Gianforte Family Foundation.
The building, named Gianforte Hall, will feature two large classrooms and laboratories dedicated to robotics, cybersecurity, augmented and virtual reality, data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning. A video production studio will be available, as will an audio recording facility. Some of the spaces will be designed to highlight the contributions of computing pioneers Grace Hopper and Alan Turing.
Gianforte Hall will incorporate multiple sustainability features designed to target LEED-Silver. The building will be part of MSU’s South Campus Energy District, a system that helps reduce energy use by allowing buildings to help heat and cool each other. The district includes Norm Asbjornson Hall, Romney Hall and the new Student Wellness Center, now under construction. Additionally, Gianforte Hall will be MSU’s first mass timber structure, a sustainable choice of materials that will help minimize carbon emissions from concrete and steel used elsewhere in construction.
The building is expected to open in 2026.
