Collaboration

Construction began in December of 2015 on the $71.4 million Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center in Kissimmee. Created by the University of Central Florida in collaboration with Osceola County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, the 109,000-sf facility will house the world’s first industry-led smart sensor consortium. Featuring a flexible cleanroom with adaptable walls and flooring, the project will provide a semiconductor foundry, a design center, and labs for the development of new technologies using integrated circuits.

Kansas State University completed construction in fall of 2015 on a $45 million facility for the College of Engineering in Manhattan. Designed by Perkins+Will, the three-story, 108,000-sf atrium expansion connects three existing buildings and features a 4,000-sf collaborative learning center, teaching and research labs, a 250-seat lecture hall, technology-rich classrooms, and a data center.

The Pennsylvania State University's Health and Human Development Building was awarded the 2015 Gold Project Leadership Award in November of 2015 by the Construction Owners Association of America (COAA). Completed in summer of 2015, the structure was the second building of a two-phase expansion of the College of Health and Human Development, collocating several research centers near the main academic departments.

The Bush Science Center at Rollins College is a state-of-the-art facility built to expand the high quality of the sciences on campus, while at the same time support the College’s mission of a liberal arts education. The LEED Gold-certified building includes teaching and research laboratories, laboratory support areas, classrooms, computer classrooms, faculty offices, conference rooms, and building support spaces.

Minnesota State University is constructing a $26 million clinical sciences building in Mankato. Designed to promote the collaborative delivery of team-based care, the 59,000-sf facility will consolidate programs in nursing and dental hygiene as well as speech, hearing, and rehabilitation services. The three-story building will provide classrooms, labs, offices, study areas, clinical space, observation rooms, and a model apartment. The general contractor for the project is Shaw-Lundquist. Completion is expected in late October of 2016.

Sacramento State University is planning to build the $91 million Science II facility in Sacramento, Calif. Providing advanced teaching labs and classrooms for programs in biology and chemistry, the design-build project will include faculty and student research space as well as areas for informal collaboration. Groundbreaking is expected in spring of 2017. The existing home of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Sequoia Hall, will also be renovated to provide updated laboratories.

The University of Washington is planning to build the Nanoengineering & Sciences Building in Seattle. Designed by ZGF, the 78,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide approximately 43,000 ASF of research space for the departments of bioengineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and materials sciences.

San Diego State University broke ground on the $90 million Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex in November of 2015. Designed by AC Martin to promote interaction and collaboration, the five-story, 85,000-sf facility will provide 11,500 sf of instructional space, 17 multidisciplinary labs with advanced instrumentation, and an entrepreneurship innovation center.

The Department of Energy opened the $143 million Wang Hall at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in November of 2015. The 149,000-sf facility will house the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and the Computational Research Division as well as providing a center of operations for the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet).

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will begin construction in January of 2016 on the $28 million Advanced Aerodynamics Laboratory and Wind Tunnel in Daytona Beach, Fla. Located at the school's research park, the 50,000-sf project will support collaborative R&D with industry partners in areas including aviation, engineering, unmanned systems, and advanced materials.

Eli Lilly and Company is initiating a $70 million expansion of its global research and development campus in Indianapolis. Providing an additional 130,000 sf of flexible lab space, the project will support collaborative, multidisciplinary research on small molecule pharmaceutical therapies. Completion is expected in 2017.

Purdue University broke ground in November of 2015 on two facilities for the Department of Animal Sciences in West Lafayette, Ind. The three-story, 90,000-sf Hobart and Russell Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences will provide research laboratories, classrooms designed for interactive and team-based learning, conference rooms for extension activities, and open spaces to facilitate faculty and student interactions.

The Pirbright Institute’s Plowright Building transforms the standard box-in-a-box bunker-like containment facility into an interactive environment filled with natural light, expansive views through full-height windows, and extensive opportunities for collaboration. Offices, a cafeteria, and a three-story glass atrium all exist within the containment barrier, reducing the number of times researchers need to shower and gown in and out each day.

Dow Chemical Company will begin construction in late 2015 on the 145,300-sf Middle East Research and Development Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Designed to attain LEED Silver sustainable design certification, the facility will feature laboratories for the creation of advanced technologies for water, oil, and gas processing as well as the development of innovative construction materials and coatings.

UMass Dartmouth broke ground in October of 2015 on a $55 million facility for the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) in New Bedford. Designed by Ellenzweig, the 76,000-sf project will provide collaborative research space for the study of oceanography, climate change, coastal preservation, renewable energy, and commercial fishing methods. Created in partnership with the state Division of Marine Fisheries, the building will feature a seawater research lab and a high bay area.