Collaboration

Metropolitan State University of Denver opened the $60 million Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building in June of 2017. Featuring collaborative learning spaces, technology-rich labs, and a public-private enterprise center, the 117,000-sf facility will support an interdisciplinary curriculum integrating aerospace science, industrial design, computer science, information technology, and civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering.

A post-occupancy evaluation for a new engineering facility at the University of Kansas (KU) illuminates the ways physical space influences STEM students’ experiences, and sets new standards for effectively studying project outcomes. According to Tim Reynolds, a principal with the Science & Technology studio of national architecture firm TreanorHL, “Too often, post-occupancy evaluations tend to be rather shallow—focused on things like lighting and furniture rather than actual program experience.

The RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center at Rutgers University is under construction in Piscataway, N.J. Supporting a world-class sports medicine program, the four-story, 295,000-sf facility will also include state-of-the-art practice facilities for men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics. The collaboration includes RWJBarnabas becoming the exclusive health care provider for Rutgers Athletics, as well as developing and managing the sports medicine curriculum and research activities.

High Point University will complete construction in summer of 2017 on the $120 million Congdon Hall in High Point, N.C. Housing the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, the 224,000-sf facility will feature a human biomechanics and physiology lab, a virtual reality and clinical gait analysis lab, advanced simulation training suites, and standardized client areas for interprofessional education. Congdon Hall was designed to support a variety of pedagogical styles to promote collaborative learning.

Eli Lilly completed a $90 million expansion of its San Diego biotechnology center in June of 2017. The 180,000-sf facility features the Life Science studio, a technology-rich laboratory suite supporting advanced drug discovery and development. Promoting global collaboration and innovation in the design, synthesis, and screening of molecules, the center will accommodate research in immunology, diabetes, oncology, and neurodegeneration. 

Stephen F. Austin State University is constructing the $46.4 million Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building in Nacogdoches, Texas. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the collaborative learning facility will accommodate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Housing the departments of computer science, physics, engineering, and astronomy, the building will feature a makerspace, a digital media lab, a planetarium, and collaboration spaces. The construction manager for the project is J.E. Kingham Construction Company.

Stonehill College broke ground in June of 2017 on the 36,000-sf Academic and Welcome Center in Easton, Mass. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the facility will serve as the gateway to the college for prospective students and their families, as well as a dynamic hub for academic and social activities. Located on the college’s main quad, the building will feature large classrooms and seminar rooms integrated with faculty offices to enhance interaction, a 380-seat auditorium, an outdoor terrace, and a variety of gathering spaces.

The University of Kansas is engaged in a $4 million renovation project to create the National Security Laboratory in Lawrence. Sited on the basement level of the Bioscience and Technology Business Center on the West Campus, the 7,000-sf facility will support collaborative research with the Department of Defense and other government agencies on radar, remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, signal processing, and sensors. The secure laboratory will accommodate up to 40 employees and is expected to open in spring of 2018. 

The University of Texas at San Antonio broke ground on the $95 million Science and Engineering Building in June of 2017. Designed by TreanorHL and Alamo Architects to promote interaction and collaboration, the multidisciplinary facility will provide research labs, teaching labs, active learning classrooms, and faculty offices to support programs in chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, and neurology.

Bowie State University opened the $102 million Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing in June of 2017 in Bowie, Md. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 149,000-sf facility provides a clinical simulation center, undergraduate teaching labs, a plant sciences greenhouse, and a three-story elliptical multipurpose space with 25,000 sf of dynamic window glazing.

The University of Tennessee opened the 268,000-sf Strong Hall Science Laboratory in Knoxville in May of 2017. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative and Lewis Group Architects, the $114 million renovation project created a flexible, interdisciplinary facility to house the departments of anthropology and earth and planetary sciences, as well as providing teaching and research space for the departments of biology and chemistry.

The University of Southern California completed construction in June of 2017 on the $185 million Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience in Los Angeles. The 190,000-sf translational research facility offers collaborative labs and offices for 30 principal investigators, as well as housing a 7,200-sf microscopy imaging suite and a 10,000-sf nanofabrication cleanroom offering Class 100 and 1,000 capabilities.

Nebraska Medicine opened the $323 million Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in June of 2017 in Omaha. Located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the 615,000-sf translational facility is designed to promote collaboration between physicians and researchers in the delivery of advanced patient care. The project is comprised of two towers, a 10-story, 98-lab research facility and an eight-story, 108-bed inpatient treatment center.

Golden West College broke ground in May of 2017 on the 120,561-sf Mathematics and Science Building in Huntington Beach, Calif. Designed by HMC Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the three-story facility will support a pedagogical model of exploratory learning with 18 wet and dry science labs, interactive classrooms, computer labs, faculty offices, collaboration areas, and a STEM center.

Utah State University is constructing the $28 million Center for Clinical Excellence in Logan. Designed by Jacoby Architects, the 105,000-sf facility will serve as a comprehensive human services center, integrating various clinics and services in an interdisciplinary environment. Comprised of two wings connected by transparent bridges, the four-story project will accommodate clinical training for students in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services.