Industry News

The College of St. Catherine in St. Paul has selected Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbot to renovate and design a new Student Center and Learning Commons. The 100,000-sf Student Center will be documented and constructed by Opus A&E Northwest of Minnetonka, Minn., and the 107,000-sf Learning Commons by McGough Construction and HGA Architects of Minneapolis.

Wittenberg University has selected Holabird & Root of Chicago to design the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center and renovate the existing building. The first phase of a two phase project includes a 47,000-sf expansion of the original 96,000-sf facility to primarily house classroom, laboratory, and office space with state-of-the-art mechanical and electrical systems.

San Jose State University has plans for a new 17,000-sf building for the school's athletes devoted to physical conditioning, strength-building, and rehabilitation. Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Koret Foundation, the Koret Building is scheduled to open in fall 2001. It will provide all of the school's 350 athletes with lockers, a state-of-the-art weight room, as well as the rehabilitation center.

The Cusano Environmental Education Center has just been completed at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. The 18,000-sf 'green' structure was designed by the Philadelphia architectural firm Susan Maxman & Partners.

The University of San Diego has completed construction of the Joan Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. The $30-million center is designed to accommodate both research on the topics of peace, conflict, and social justice as well as actual international negotiations and mediation. The 92,000-sf facility, designed by San Diego-based Carrier Johnson, incorporates an auditorium seating 320, classrooms, distance learning center, and faculty offices. Visiting scholars or officials can be housed in an adjoining three-unit apartment. Rudolph & Sletten Inc. was the general contractor.