Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health broke ground in June of 2018 on a $349 million outpatient facility in Richmond. Designed by HDR, the 16-story, 603,000-sf project will provide a consolidated location for VCU Massey Cancer Center's outpatient services, as well as housing diagnostic labs, imaging suites, a rehabilitation center, and clinical space for orthopedics, pulmonology, urology, and gynecology.
Williams College opened the $66 million South Science Building in June of 2018. Located in Williamstown, Mass., the 78,000-sf interdisciplinary teaching and research facility provides 30 laboratories, 31 faculty offices, a microscopy suite, and a machine shop with a design lab, 3D printers, and laser and plasma cutters. Designed by Payette to promote interaction and collaboration, the four-story, 78,000-sf building accommodates programs in biology, chemistry, and physics.
Washington State University broke ground in June of 2018 on the $66 million Plant Sciences Building in Pullman. Providing 15 wet labs, three dry labs, and multiple collaboration spaces, the four-story 82,476-sf facility will accommodate research programs in horticulture, plant biochemistry and pathology, and crop and soil science. The project team includes LMN Architects, laboratory design consultant Research Facilities Design (RFD), and design-build contractor Skanska.
The University of California, San Diego broke ground in June of 2018 on the $627 million North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood. Covering over 10 acres, the 1.6 million-gsf mixed-use project will provide 2,000 undergraduate beds, 1,200 underground parking spaces, a craft center, and dining and retail amenities. New academic facilities will include the Public Engagement Building to accommodate social sciences programs, and an arts and humanities facility housing the departments of history, literature, and philosophy.
Purdue University began construction in June of 2018 on a $14 million addition to the Martin C. Jischke Hall of Biomedical Engineering in West Lafayette, Ind. Designed by BSA LifeStructures, the 29,500-sf Innovation Wing will provide the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering with open-concept wet labs; translational research labs, including a behavioral core; a multidisciplinary student design lab; and support spaces. The addition will also offer active learning environments, offices for faculty and graduate students, and interactive team areas.
Renovating an old science complex can be a cost-effective way to transform a 1970s relic into an education facility for the 21st century. The Gant Science Complex, built between 1970 and 1974 on the Storrs campus of the University of Connecticut, is big—285,000 sf—but outdated and environmentally inefficient, with an R value in the single digits. It also reflects old-fashioned science teaching and research methods, making it hard to enable the kind of collaborative learning used today.
The University of Connecticut celebrated the opening of the $95 million Engineering and Science Building in June of 2018 in Storrs. Designed by Mitchell Giurgola Architects, the five-story, 118,000-gsf structure provides open-concept laboratories, instructional spaces, collaboration areas, and faculty offices to accommodate STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The Pennsylvania State University celebrated the opening of the 93,500-sf Agricultural Engineering Building in June of 2018 in University Park. The $44 million project included a 16,000-sf renovation of the historical front section of the structure, demolition of the remainder of the building, and approximately 77,000 sf of new construction.
Virginia Commonwealth University broke ground on the $93 million Engineering Research Building in June of 2018 in Richmond. Designed by Goody Clancy, Baskervill, and Smith McClane Architects, the collaborative 133,000-sf facility will provide the College of Engineering with teaching and research labs, interaction areas, and offices. Supporting an experiential curriculum, the project will feature the 9,000-sf Innovation Maker Facility housing 3D printers and other prototyping and fabrication technologies.
The University of Hawaii will begin construction in early 2019 on the Academy for Creative Media in Kapolei. Located on the UH West Oahu campus, the 42,000-sf facility will provide sophisticated production spaces including a two-story sound stage, editing and mixing suites, a 100-seat screening room, and a maker space for set building and 3D printing. The 24-hour center will also include flexible classrooms, collaboration spaces, an emerging media lab for advanced interactive cyber visualization applications, and a student business incubator.
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences broke ground in June of 2018 on the $33 million Center for Medical Education Innovation. Accommodating physician medical education and interprofessional health science programs, the collaborative four-story facility will include standardized patient rooms, high-fidelity simulation suites, a virtual skills simulation deck, and a simulation command center.
Northeastern University broke ground in June of 2018 on a $60 million research facility in Burlington, Mass. Located on the Innovation Campus, the three-story, 104,000-sf facility will provide research labs, a meeting area for workshops, and a maker space with 3D printers and other prototyping technologies.
The University of Calgary is engaged in a multiyear construction and renovation of its campus core in Alberta, Canada. The MacKimmie Complex and Professional Faculties Building Project includes the complete renovation of an existing tower and block and the construction of a new atrium linking the two structures. The facilities will provide large classrooms, open study areas, and small group spaces to promote collaborative learning.
Highline College will begin construction in summer of 2018 on the 46,000-sf Health and Life Sciences Building in Des Moines. Designed by McGranahan Architects, the $30 million project includes construction of an addition and the complete renovation of Building 26. Providing flexible, integrated learning environments, the completed facility will offer classrooms, labs, faculty offices, and study spaces.
Charles Schwab is engaged in a major expansion of its 50-acre Gracy Farms campus in north Austin. In June of 2018, the financial services company opened two five-story buildings providing 469,000 sf of office space, as well as an amenities center and a parking garage. Featuring a 275-seat multipurpose auditorium and an onsite yoga studio, the complex offers integrated campus walking trails and flexible sit/stand workstations.
