Engineering

The University of Texas at El Paso opened the $93.5 million Interdisciplinary Research Building in September of 2020. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 156,000-sf project provides 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 departments, the flexible facility can be easily adapted to accommodate changing program requirements.

BMW Group opened the FIZ Projekthaus Nord complex in Munich in September of 2020. Representing an expansion of the company's existing R&D campus, the collaborative facility provides 1.6 billion square feet of space for engineering, research, collaboration, and administration. Comprising two office structures and a test-bench building, the integrated complex offers a dynamically connected work environment enabled by 20,000 servers and a data storage capacity of 90 petabytes.

Wayne State University opened the 100,000-sf STEM Innovation Learning Center in Detroit in October of 2020. Designed as a campus hub for project-based learning and discovery, the interdisciplinary facility features flexible classrooms, wet and dry teaching labs, maker and hacker spaces, a 3D printing lab, and a student commons. Small groups can meet and interact in collaboration zones with integrated whiteboards and projection screens.

California State University, Dominguez Hills completed construction in September of 2020 on the $71.5 million Science & Innovation Building in Carson. Designed by HGA Architects and Engineers with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 87,000-sf facility provides classrooms, labs, and faculty offices to support programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Merck KGaA opened the $58.5 million Centre for Electronic Applications in September of 2020. Located on the company's headquarters campus in Darmstadt, Germany, the 118,400-sf facility will accelerate the discovery and development of next-generation materials for semiconductors and displays. Providing collaborative lab and office environments for 140 employees, the structure features a sophisticated building façade with dynamic liquid crystal windows that can be easily adjusted to minimize glare and heat gain. Construction began on the project in summer of 2017.

Kajima Corporation, one of Japan's largest construction companies, broke ground in August of 2020 on the $100 million Global Hub in Singapore. Designed to accelerate the creation of new building technologies, the 141,000-sf innovation center will feature a comprehensive robotic solutions suite. The Kajima Technical Research Institute Singapore (KaTris) will be located in the facility, which will leverage advanced automation and digitalization systems to optimize energy performance and reduce carbon emissions.

Northwest Vista College broke ground on the $34 million STEM Building in September of 2020 in San Antonio. Designed by Overland Partners, the 52,550-sf facility will accommodate innovative programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Offering project-based learning environments and flexible, general-purpose classrooms, the multidisciplinary structure will include teaching labs, tutoring suites, outdoor classrooms, and faculty and administrative offices.

The University of Nevada, Reno opened the $92 million William N. Pennington Engineering Building in August of 2020. Designed by H+K Architects, the 100,000-sf facility offers dedicated space for the departments of chemical and materials engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. The collaborative four-story building provides 40 labs, a 200-seat classroom, two computer labs, 40 faculty offices, and 150 graduate student workstations.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney opened the $30 million Discovery Hall in September of 2020. Offering technology-rich labs and classrooms for experiential learning, the three-story, 90,000-sf facility accommodates STEM programs in mathematics, engineering, physics, astronomy, construction management, industrial distribution, interior design, aviation, computer science, and information technology.

The University of New Haven opened the $35 million Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation in August of 2020 in West Haven, Conn. Designed by Svigals+Partners, the three-story, 45,500-sf facility provides sophisticated science and engineering labs, technology-enabled collaborative classrooms, a maker space, an atrium, video production studios, and an e-sports training and competition hub. LEED Gold sustainable design certification is being sought for the structure, which is expected to use 40 percent less energy than a conventional facility.

The University of Texas at San Antonio opened the $95 million Science and Engineering Building in August of 2020. Designed by TreanorHL and Alamo Architects, the four-story, 160,349-sf facility provides teaching and research labs, active learning classrooms, and faculty offices to support programs in biology, chemistry, engineering, and neurology.

ABB is planning to construct a $30 million manufacturing center in San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy. The 172,200-sf facility will support the production of direct-current battery chargers for electric vehicles. Accelerating the company's growth and innovation in the electromobility sector, the sustainably designed project will leverage highly efficient building systems and rooftop photovoltaic arrays to achieve optimal energy performance and reduce carbon emissions.

Bishop State Community College broke ground in late July of 2020 on two new instructional facilities in Mobile, Ala. The $17 million Advanced Manufacturing Center will provide technology-rich learning environments for programs in robotics, process technology, electronic engineering, and industrial maintenance. The college also began construction on a $4 million renovation project to create a state-of-the-art health sciences center.

Saint Louis University opened the $50 million Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Building in August of 2020 in St. Louis. Designed by Hastings+Chivetta with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the three-story, 90,000-sf facility features a full-height atrium, 10,000 sf of research space, and an active learning classroom that can accommodate up to 210 students.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is planning to construct the $86 million Integrated Engineering Research Center in Batavia, Ill. Designed by Perkins+Will with Arup as consulting engineer, the collaborative 80,000-sf structure will collocate engineers, technicians, and scientists at the core of Fermi's campus. Supporting advanced programs in particle physics, the flexible facility will provide reconfigurable labs, offices, design studios, and testing suites.