Academic Medical

Federal financial measures have been approved in the past few weeks to shore up the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, with direct monetary assistance and business loans totaling $5.5 trillion, and more support and flexibility for research universities and government contractors. The federal stimulus package—the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—is intended to pump $2.2 trillion dollars into the economy, primarily in the healthcare and research sectors, and to provide emergency relief to institutions, businesses, and workers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic. The specifics of how it will be implemented are still evolving, and it is likely that additional stimulus bills will be considered in the coming months, including investments in infrastructure for the nation’s research enterprise.

VACUUBRAND is offering continuing education courses approved by the American Institute of Architects and Green Business Certification Inc. Providing engineers and designers with the skills to create sustainable, high-performance laboratories, each course is available as a general webinar, a private webinar, or as an on-demand learning experience. AIA members will receive one LU/HSW (Health-Safety-Welfare learning unit) for each one-hour course.

ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, has created an epidemic task force to respond to the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and provide guidance on how to ensure that buildings are prepared for current and future epidemics. The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has been established to deploy ASHRAE’s technical resources to address the impact of HVAC systems on disease transmission in healthcare facilities, workplaces, homes, public spaces, and recreational environments.

New York University is renovating two adjacent historic structures on its Greenwich Village campus to create a new home for the School of Global Public Health. Designed by Kliment Halsband Architects, the collaborative 147,000-sf facility will accommodate laboratories for multiple research groups. Flexible open workstations and glass-walled offices will provide optimal access to natural light and views.

Reedley College is constructing the $20 million Math, Science & Engineering Building in Fresno, Calif. Designed by Darden Architects, the 21,000-sf STEM facility will provide chemistry and biochemistry labs, a math tutoring center, 20 faculty offices, and a large learning venue for group instruction. The school’s nursing and dentistry programs will be housed in the building, which will feature advanced technical training areas and clinical simulation suites. Occupancy is expected in late 2021.

Miami University is planning to construct a $96 million health sciences building in Oxford, Ohio. Representing the first new academic structure to be built on the campus in more than a decade, the 165,000-sf facility will create synergies between programs in nursing and allied health professions. The project will include the renovation of Harris Hall, which will temporarily house the school’s health services center during construction. Completion is expected by summer of 2023.

A $2.2 trillion stimulus package will support the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) will be available to the agencies through September of 2024. The CDC will receive $4.3 billion in new funding, which includes $1.5 billion for joint initiatives with state and local governments. The NIH has been allocated $945.4 million, which will be directed to:

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the fourth quarter of 2019. Key points include:

Edmonds Community College is building a $54 million STEM and health science facility in Edmonds, Wash. Accommodating programs in nursing, allied health, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the collaborative 70,000-sf structure will offer active learning environments, classrooms, teaching labs, clinical simulation suites, offices, and study areas. The project will also accommodate pre-engineering courses developed in partnership with The Boeing Company and other local employers. Occupancy is expected in September of 2020.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is building a $110 million academic tower in Harrisburg, Pa. Housing the Health Sciences Education Center, the 11-story, 210,000-sf facility will offer classrooms and auditoria for programs in nursing, allied health, and pharmaceutical sciences, as well as instructional spaces for courses in advanced manufacturing and interactive media. The project team includes design architect Stantec and general contractor Whiting-Turner. Occupancy is expected in January of 2023. 

Oregon Health & Science University is constructing the $50 million Elks Children's Eye Clinic Building in Portland. Designed by NBBJ, the freestanding 64,000-sf building will be physically connected to the existing Casey Eye Institute by a striking glass sky bridge. The five-story structure will accommodate translational research labs, an 11,500-sf pediatric eye clinic, and space for clinical trials.

Houston Baptist University is planning to construct a $50 million complex for the College of Science and Engineering and the School of Nursing and Allied Health. Designed by Huitt-Zollars, the 112,300-sf project will include the renovation of two existing buildings and construction of a 53,000-sf facility to provide leading-edge classrooms and laboratories, clinical simulation suites, collaboration spaces, study areas, and informal interaction zones.

Washington University in St. Louis broke ground on a $616 million neuroscience research center in March of 2020. Designed by Perkins+Will and CannonDesign, the 609,000-sf building will accommodate over 100 research teams in collaborative neighborhoods to promote interaction. Strategically sited between the university's medical campus and the Cortex Innovation Community, the 11-story facility will house approximately 900 investigators from the departments of neurology, neuroscience, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and anesthesiology.

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is building the CAD$400 million Patient Support Centre in Toronto. Designed by B+H Architects, the 22-story, 525,616-sf project will provide education, training, and administrative facilities. Two additional sub-grade floors will house a simulation center with advanced virtual reality technologies for the SickKids Learning Institute.

The University of Washington is planning to construct the $100 million Health Sciences Education Building in Seattle. Designed by Miller Hull Partnership and The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the four-story structure will provide nearly 100,000 sf of innovative teaching space for interprofessional education programs.