Interdisciplinary Academic Medical Sciences Center Evolves Around It
Medical schools are often the most costly, well-established, and storied institutions on an academic campus, so establishing a new one from scratch at an existing public university can be a daunting challenge. At Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, the process caused a quantum shift in the way administrators approach both scientific research and capital planning, and it taught them that one informs the other: Academic goals influence the operational model, while operational changes inspire new ways of thinking about education and research.

United States Government
The newly opened U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is located beneath the grounds of the East Lawn, but the subterranean location does nothing to reduce its grandeur and monumental pedigree. From the moment that visitors walk down the carefully sculpted entrance ramps and through the enormous bronze doors of the CVC, they enter a majestic space that extends and reflects the look and feel of one of the world's most recognized buildings. The primary goals for the facility are visitor education, amenities, and enhanced security.

Instrument-based Facility Design Drives New Modes of Collaborative Research
The design of instrument-driven, multi-disciplinary research facilities reflects emerging trends that are defining the trajectory of modern science. As academic and applied research organizations strive to increase scientific integration, more facilities are being designed around clusters of shared instrumentation known as "technical neighborhoods," or "platforms." Developing these shared instrument facilities is a logistically complex process that requires unprecedented levels of integration between diverse stakeholders and the engineering of entire buildings around expensive equipment. Small mistakes can result in significant costs. Utilizing case studies from a cross-section of recent projects, Boston-based Wilson Architects has developed a conceptual model for considering instrument-driven facility planning.

Data Center Planning for Rapid Growth in the Digital Age
Today's clinical imaging systems generate staggering amounts of data that must be archived with patient records and delivered over high-speed networks that are critical to the day-to-day operations of a modern medical center. This exponentially growing influx of image data combined with a critical need for dependable access, creates a significant set of challenges for the medical facility data center. Johns Hopkins Medical (JHM), in Baltimore, Md., has adapted to the exponential growth in patient information by creating a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure that utilizes dual-site redundancy and virtualization to ensure scaleable long-term growth and stability.

Challenging Traditional Planning Concepts Can Cut Costs, Maintain Programs and Quality
Forget what you think you know about controlling vibration, sizing fume hoods, and calculating electrical load and air volume in a lab building. Innovative planning concepts and emerging tools can cut construction costs by millions of dollars and reduce operating costs for the life of the building, while still meeting code and research requirements.