Energy Use Reduction

The University of Massachusetts Amherst opened the $101 million Physical Sciences Building in April of 2019. Designed by Wilson HGA, the 95,000-sf facility can accommodate 20 faculty-led research groups with a total of 130 reconfigurable bench positions. Supporting scientific discovery in organic chemistry, materials science, and condensed matter physics, the building provides open research labs, extensive core support labs, offices, and collaboration areas.

The University of Colorado is building the $61.4 million William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Colorado Springs. Designed by HOK and RTA Architects, the 104,000-sf facility will be the first of its kind to integrate undergraduate and graduate education with clinical practice and research in a sports medicine and performance environment.

Boston University is engaged in a $112 million renovation and expansion of the Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Designed by SmithGroup, the project includes renovation of 53,100 sf of existing space and construction of a seven-story, 41,900-sf addition to provide a 140-seat auditorium, student collaboration areas, classrooms, teaching labs, offices, and clinical space. A new façade will bring natural light into the flexible facility, which will include a café and lounges for students and residents.

BASF opened a 54,000-sf facility at Innovation Campus Shanghai in March of 2019. The $28 million project houses the Automotive Application Center which features a 3D robotic simulator, a state-of-the-art spray booth for electrostatic applications, and a physical testing lab. The sustainably designed structure also accommodates the Process Catalysis Research & Development Center which offers highly specialized testing units for evaluating solid catalyst performance as well as advanced facilities for solids processing.

Virginia Commonwealth University opened the $87 million College of Health Professions in March of 2019 in Richmond. Designed by EYP Architecture and Engineering, the eight-story, 154,000-gsf facility unites nine departments in a sustainably designed structure that is expected to attain LEED Silver certification.

Weber State University is planning to construct the $58 million Noorda Building for Engineering, Applied Science & Technology in Ogden, Utah. Designed by VCBO Architecture, the 143,000-sf facility will house the departments of computer science, engineering technology, professional sales, and electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering. Additionally, four centers will be housed in the collaborative building: the Concept Center, the Center for Technology Outreach, the National Center for Automotive Science & Technology, and the Alan E.

Butler University is building the $49 million Lacy School of Business in Indianapolis. Designed by Goody Clancy and CSO Architects for optimal transparency and connectivity, the four-story, 110,000-sf facility will include an expansive atrium, an innovation commons, a trading room, experiential learning rooms, entrepreneurial suites, and faculty and administrative offices. LEED Silver certification will be sought for the project, which is slated for occupancy in fall of 2019.

The University of Groningen will begin construction in summer of 2019 on the 690,000-sf Feringa Building in the Netherlands. The $285 million facility will provide labs, cleanrooms, lecture halls, classrooms, and offices to support science and engineering programs. Specialized laboratories, located entirely on the north face of the building to mitigate weather conditions, will accommodate research in materials science, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, and astronomy.

The University of Texas at El Paso is constructing the $85 million Interdisciplinary Research Building. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 150,000-gsf project will provide collaborative research labs, a vivarium, imaging suites, core labs, a visualization suite, conference rooms, an atrium, an auditorium, and academic and administrative offices. Housing teams from multiple colleges, the flexible facility will be able to adapt with ease to accommodate changing research programs.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is building a $50 million life sciences facility in Honolulu. Designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the three-story, 45,000-sf project will provide the College of Natural Sciences with classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, lab support spaces, and offices. Accommodating the departments of biology, microbiology, and botany, the building will also house the Pacific Biosciences Research Center and the Biological Electron Microscope Facility.

The University of Toronto is designing a nine-story academic hub to support urban research, education, and engagement. Designed by architectsAlliance, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and ERA Architects, the 170,000-gsf multidisciplinary building will provide a permanent home for the School of Cities as well as accommodating programs in history, music, and cultural studies.

Akouos, a genetic medicine company, has leased 37,500 sf in Boston for its research headquarters. The facility is located in a two-story, 150,000-sf building at 645 Summer Street and will support the discovery and commercialization of therapies for hearing disorders. The project was developed by Pappas Enterprises and renovated by Tocci Building Corporation. The sustainably designed structure has attained LEED Silver certification.

Bucknell University will break ground in summer of 2019 on a $50 million building for the Freeman College of Management and the Department of Art & Art History in Lewisburg, Pa. Designed by CannonDesign with Barton Malow Company as construction manager, the 79,500-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide classrooms, studios, labs, design suites, and faculty offices. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which is slated for completion in spring of 2021. 

Boden Type Data Center One opened in February of 2019 in Boden, Sweden. Designed as a prototype for data center energy efficiency, the 500-kilowatt facility will operate with minimal environmental impact by implementing a range of highly innovative building systems and technologies. Funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, the project was developed by a consortium of firms including H1 Systems, EcoCooling, Fraunhofer IOSB, RISE SICS North, and Boden Business Agency.

Weber State University will begin construction in May of 2019 on the $20 million Computer and Automotive Engineering Building in Layton, Utah. Located on the Davis campus, the 50,000-sf facility will accommodate programs in automotive technology, software engineering, and computer science, including courses in big data and cybersecurity.