Industry News

The University of Washington broke ground on a new $80-million law school building—the William H. Gates Hall—in May 2001. Construction of the 196,000-sf four-story building will begin in September 2001 and is slated for completion in summer of 2003. The facility will include a 10,000-sf reading room with stacks occupying approximately 40,000 sf. The building will also feature a 170-person classroom equipped as a trial court, law clinics, seminar rooms, additional instructional areas, as well as offices for staff, faculty, and graduate students.

The University of California is purchasing a site near Merced for a new $400 million campus. Construction is slated to begin in early 2002 on the first three buildings: a science and engineering facility, a library and technology center, and classroom space for arts, humanities, and social sciences. UC received a grant for $11.4 million to finance purchase of the site, and has budgeted $160 million to begin construction. The new campus will accommodate 31,000 people within the next 2 decades.

Olin College of Engineering has contracted Wayne J. Griffin Electric Inc. to provide electrical systems for phase I of the college's new facilities in Needham. The four campus buildings will feature a state-of-the-art lighting system, energy management technology, a control power distribution plant, and campus fire alarm systems.

Vienna performing arts company Wolf Trap is planning to break ground on its new Center for Education in March. The $9 million, 53,371-sf facility will provide space for Wolf Trap Opera Company rehearsals, a special program hall, a 100-seat distance learning lecture hall, and a conference and multimedia learning center. The building will also house new offices and administrative space.

Heald College consolidated two Contra Costa County locations into a new 66,000-sf Concord campus. The 32-classroom facility opened in February and features a fiber optic data communications network for improved Internet access, as well as some wireless technologies. The campus provides classroom space for 1400 students, a center for faculty and staff, and a cafeteria. Heald also opened a new 58,000-sf Hayward, Calif., campus in summer of 2000.