Purdue University Northwest broke ground in August of 2018 on the $40.5 million Bioscience Innovation Building in Hammond, Ind. Designed by CannonDesign to house the departments of nursing and biological sciences, the 68,000-sf facility will provide sophisticated teaching and research labs, collaborative classrooms, clinical simulation suites, student interaction areas, and faculty offices.
Purdue University’s new 178,000-sf Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC) contains seven different types of classrooms that are so integrated into the Library of Engineering and Science that “at times, you almost can’t tell the difference between them,” says Nanette Andersson, director of library facilities. The design was borne of years of study into the effectiveness of active learning and the kinds of spaces that best support it. The result is a facility that is utilized nearly 24 hours a day.
The Georgia Cyber Center opened the Hull McKnight Building in July of 2018. Located on the campus of Augusta University, the facility accommodates a cyber range, a 340-seat auditorium, offices for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Cyber Crime Unit, multi-institutional classrooms and computer labs, a business incubator, and demonstration space to showcase current research. A second structure, the Shaffer MacCartney Building, is slated for completion in December of 2018, creating a 332,000-sf complex that represents a total investment of $100 million.
Red River College began construction in July of 2018 on the CAD$95 million Innovation Centre in Winnipeg. Located on the Exchange District campus, the 100,000-sf facility incorporates a repurposed heritage building and new construction to create a dynamic crossroads with advanced facilities for applied research, entrepreneurship. and commercialization.
Ross University’s School of Veterinary Medicine opened the $10.5 million Research and Pathology Building in July of 2018 in Basseterre, Saint Kitts. Providing eight laboratories, the 19,000-sf facility offers 13,000 sf of research space, 4,000 sf of student space including a 1,500-sf learning center, and 2,000 sf of pathology space with suites for necropsy and histology. Designed to promote multidisciplinary collaboration and interaction, the building will support the One Health initiative in addressing the interconnectivity of animal, human, and environmental health.
The University of Vermont is planning to build the $45 million Biomedical Research Complex in Burlington. Designed by Payette and Black River Design, the project includes construction of a 60,000-gsf (35,000-asf) facility to provide flexible, collaborative research space for the Larner College of Medicine. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which will allow faculty and staff to share resources efficiently across disciplines and departments.
Baker Hughes General Electric, a subsidiary of GE, is planning to build a £31 million Centre of Excellence in Montrose, Scotland. The company's existing facilities will be expanded and renovated to create a leading-edge R&D complex for the manufacture, testing, and assembly of subsea equipment for oil and gas extraction and production. Sited on 35 acres, the 430,000-sf project will offer sophisticated virtual reality tools and 3D printing suites to enable the development of new manufacturing processes and technologies.
Texas A&M University will begin construction in summer of 2018 on the 21st Century Classroom Building in College Station. Designed by Perkins+Will in collaboration with Bora Architects, the $85 million academic facility will provide more than 2,200 classroom seats across 10 classrooms ranging from 72 to 630 seats.
North Dakota State University is engaged in a $28 million renovation and expansion of its health professions building in Fargo. The project includes construction of a six-story, 74,000-sf addition to Sudro Hall to provide collaborative learning environments for team-based healthcare education, and renovation of spaces in the existing building. Collocating all the school's health programs in a single location, the completed facility will include new and renovated laboratories for teaching, research, and clinical skills development.
16 Tech Community Corporation will break ground in fall of 2018 on the $30 million Advanced Research and Innovation Facility in Indianapolis. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute will lease space in the five-story, 120,000-sf building, which represents the first phase of construction in the 16 Tech Innovation District. The 60-acre development will include a second office and research building, a 250-unit apartment complex, and renovated warehouse facilities.
Elizabethtown College is building the $24 million Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being. Designed by CannonDesign, the 82,000-sf facility will include three recreation courts, an indoor track, a field house with tennis courts, locker rooms, a demonstration kitchen, a café, a collaboration lounge, and areas for yoga, weight training, and group fitness. Illuminated by abundant natural light, the center will provide space for individual and group counseling, educational workshops, and peer education activities.
Construction will begin in late 2018 on the £20 million Maritime Knowledge Hub in Birkenhead in the United Kingdom. Located in the Wirral Waters redevelopment, the collaborative maritime education and research facility is being created by a partnership of Liverpool John Moores University, Peel Land and Property, Mersey Maritime, and Wirral Council.
Rowan University and Rutgers University-Camden are building the Joint Health Sciences Center in Camden, N.J. Designed by HOK, the $70 million project comprises two joined buildings offering classrooms, laboratories, offices, and research space. Camden County College will also utilize the four-story, 95,000-sf complex, which will include a 30,000-sf simulation training center for Rowan’s School of Osteopathic Medicine and CCC’s allied health program.
Cardiff University will begin construction in September of 2018 on the £50 million Innovation Central facility in Wales in the United Kingdom. Designed by Hawkins\Brown to promote collaboration between academic and industry partners, the 129,167-sf project will include the SPARK social science research hub and a business incubator with shared spaces, labs, and serviced offices.
The SPARK Academic Innovation Hub at Washington State University was designed to serve as a campus-wide resource, increase transparency on campus, and promote cross-field collaboration, enhanced by a combination of high-tech digital classrooms and informal spaces. The building creates a gateway to the southern edge of the campus, with its network of flexible, technology-enabled learning environments connected to a central commons, which serves as a public presentation and event space.
