Industry News

The University of Ulster will invest £250 million to expand and renovate its four campuses in Northern Ireland. The project includes construction of a new landmark facility in Belfast, expansion of academic facilities in Derry, and development of a premier sports campus in Jordanstown.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began construction on a 120,000-sf laboratory in Boulder, Colo., in early February of 2009. Providing 58,000 net assignable square feet  laboratory space, the facility represents an expansion of NIST’s existing Boulder campus and will support research in areas including precision measurement, nanotechnology, biochemical sensors, and quantum computing. The project architect is HDR with PCL Construction as general contractor. Completion is expected in 2012.

The University of Minnesota-Duluth is constructing the $15 million Civil Engineering Building in Duluth, Minn. Construction began in July of 2008 with occupancy expected in fall of 2010. The 34,000-gsf facility will house teaching and research laboratories, classrooms, and administrative offices. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Western University of Health Sciences is constructing the 180,000-sf Health Education Center in Pomona, Calif. Slated for completion in January of 2010, the four-story building will include two 350-seat auditoriums, six 125-seat classrooms, 50 meeting rooms, and research facilities. The facility will house the College of Osteopathic Medicine and degree programs in dentistry, podiatry, and optometry. The construction manager for the project is DPR Construction. 

Pennsylvania State University is planning to construct a BSL-3 laboratory on its University Park campus. The 15,000-sf facility will support biodefense, agricultural, and zoonotic research, enabling the university to compete for federal funding supporting select agent and infectious disease research. Penn State operates an existing BSL-2 research laboratory.