Collaboration

The University of Wisconsin-Madison broke ground in September of 2018 on a $133 million project to accommodate the department of Chemistry. A nine-story tower will be added to the Daniels Chemistry Building, providing three floors of undergraduate teaching labs, one floor of research labs, two large lecture halls, a flexible active learning studio, an atrium, an information commons, conference rooms, offices, and classrooms. Six undergraduate teaching labs in the Daniels Building will be renovated, and new classrooms, offices, and study areas will be created.

The distinctive design characteristics of the tech workplace are spilling over into the scientific research environment. Elements like glass-walled open-plan offices and labs, activity-based spaces, and the embrace of WELL standards are all making an appearance in Merck & Co., Inc.’s new nine-story, multi-disciplinary discovery research facility, set to open in South San Francisco in 2019. Along with other yet-to-be determined innovations, these features likely will be incorporated in the $8 billion in U.S. capital projects the pharmaceutical giant announced it will invest in over the next five years.

The University of California, Irvine opened the $67 million Anteater Learning Pavilion in October of 2018. Designed by LMN Architects, the dedicated active learning facility includes the two-story Pavilion which houses a 250-seat lecture hall and a 400-seat lecture hall with double-tier seating. A central circulation structure called the Bridge provides connectivity to a three-story wing offering classrooms, offices, computer labs, and a student mixing hall.

Columbia University opened The Forum in September of 2018 in New York. Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop with Dattner Architects as executive architect, the 56,000-sf facility provides a 437-seat auditorium, conference and breakout rooms, collaboration spaces, and faculty offices. Acting as the gateway to the new Manhattanville campus, the triangular-shaped building offers flexible multiuse spaces and a 4,200-sf café on the ground floor to promote community engagement.

The University of Iowa broke ground in October of 2018 on the $33 million Psychological and Brain Sciences Building in Iowa City. Acting as a gateway to the east side of campus, the six-story, 64,000-sf teaching and research building will offer technology-rich classrooms and labs, administrative offices, conference rooms, and breakout spaces. The collaborative facility will feature a learning commons and an interior plaza illuminated by natural light. Completion is expected in 2019.

The University of Texas at Arlington opened the $125 million Science & Engineering Innovation & Research Building (SEIR) in September of 2018. Designed by ZGF Architects and Page Southerland Page to accommodate interdisciplinary biomedical research, the six-story, 229,000-sf facility includes a two-story classroom wing, a four-story research wing, and a basement laboratory level with vibration-mitigated instrumentation suites.

Georgia Southern University opened the $33.6 million Interdisciplinary Academic Building in September of 2018 in Statesboro. Designed by HOK, the three-story, 110,000-sf facility provides flexible learning spaces and laboratories for the College of Health and Human Sciences. The interdisciplinary building accommodates programs in interior design, history, foreign languages, writing & linguistics, international studies, health professions, and fashion merchandising and apparel design.

Brigham Young University opened an $80 million facility for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering in September of 2018 in Provo, Utah. Designed by VCBO Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory programming  and design consultant, the five-story, 200,000-sf facility features a dedicated laboratory annex, a student innovation floor, and a prototyping shop.

Arizona State University opened the $120 million Biodesign Institute Building C in September of 2018 in Tempe. Designed by ZGF Architects and BWS Architects, the five-story, 191,000-sf project features wet labs for chemistry, engineering, and biological sciences arranged in collaborative neighborhoods.

Western Colorado University began construction in September of 2018 on the 75,000-sf Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering in Gunnison. Created in partnership with the University of Colorado and funded by a donation of $80 million, the facility will provide sophisticated instrumentation suites, laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls, collaboration spaces, faculty offices, and a central gallery with a canted glass curtainwall. Farnsworth Group is providing architectural, MEP, structural, and landscape design services.

Johns Hopkins Medicine opened the $95 million All Children's Education and Research Facility in September of 2018 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Designed by HDR, the 225,000-sf project provides advanced simulation training suites, research labs, instructional spaces, administrative offices, a biorepository, and a 400-seat auditorium.

Texas A&M University opened the $228 million Zachry Engineering Education Complex in September of 2018 in College Station. Designed by TreanorHL, the project included renovation of the existing building and construction of an addition to provide 526,000 sf of collaborative teaching and research space. The complex houses the Fischer Engineering Design Center, technology-rich learning studios, offices, and interdisciplinary open labs.

Newcastle University broke ground in September of 2018 on the £39 million Teaching and Learning Building in the United Kingdom. Accommodating programs in sports and exercise science, human nutrition, psychology, and medical education, the six-story, 97,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will feature a 300-seat lecture hall, social learning spaces, seminar rooms, clinical suites, collaboration areas, and academic and postgraduate offices. The project team includes GSS Architecture and Clugston Construction.

Rutgers University opened the $115 million Chemistry and Chemical Biology Building in September of 2018 in Piscataway, N.J. Designed by Flad Architects to promote multidisciplinary collaboration, the four-story, 144,000-sf facility offers core facilities including a microscopy suite, a Class 100 chemistry cleanroom, and labs for optical spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography.

Northern Kentucky University opened the $105 million Health Innovation Center in Highland Heights in September of 2018. Designed by CO Architects and GBBN Architects, the 108,179-sf interdisciplinary facility provides the College of Health Professions with advanced classrooms, laboratories, and offices. The building houses the College of Health Professions, the Institute for Health Innovation, the Institute for Student Research and Creative Activity, and the two-story St. Elizabeth Simulation Center.