Industry News

McGill University is constructing the $53-million Bellini Life Sciences Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Designed as the anchor facility for the largest research complex of its kind in eastern Canada, the project is funded by $21.3-million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, matching funds from the Government of Quebec, a $17.5-million grant from Quebec's Minstere de la Recherche, Science et Technologies, and a $10-million donation from Dr. Francesco Bellini.

Canisius College will begin construction in late 2007 on a $45-million interdisciplinary science center in Buffalo, N.Y. Sited on 3.5 acres, the 237,000-sf facility will consolidate the college's programs in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, bioinformatics, environmental science, psychology, physics, computer science, and mathematics.

Texas Christian University (TCU) has selected Cannon Design in association with Hahnfeld Associates to design a new university union on the school's Forth Worth campus. The 140,000-sf building will house casual gathering places for students, food service facilities, retail spaces, student government offices, and an auditorium. Construction will begin in summer of 2006. As a "fusion" facility, the project will combine several different student services and activities under one roof.

The University of Louisiana (ULL) is engaged in over $50-million in capital projects on its Lafayette campus. A $7.5-million, 15,000-sf computer science building is slated for completion by year-end 2006. The three-story facility will house classrooms, labs, conference rooms, and an auditorium. Construction was completed in January 2006 on a $1.3-million expansion of the Marine Survival Training Center.

Keene State College's (KSC) Science Center received an Honor Award from the New Hampshire chapter of the AIA for creative renovation and energy conservation. KSC saved $5.5-million in construction costs on the project by working within the existing structure. The 93,640-sf project included complete renovation of the existing structure and a 37,940-sf addition housing labs for biology and chemistry. The addition increases floor-to-floor heights and utilizes low-flow fume hoods connected to an enthalpy heat recovery system.