Virginia Tech is renovating and expanding Holden Hall in Blacksburg. The existing 42,100-gsf building houses engineering programs in mining, minerals, and materials science. The project includes a complete renovation of the central structure, as well as demolition of two single-story wings and construction of a three-story wing and a four-story wing.
Boston University broke ground on the $288 million Center for Computing & Data Sciences in December of 2019. Located on the Charles River Campus, the 19-story structure will comprise a four-story podium topped by 13 floors, with MEP systems located on additional basement and penthouse levels. Collocating the departments of statistics, mathematics, and computer science, the 350,000-sf building will include terraced platforms with whiteboard walls and a collaboration ramp to promote interaction and innovation.
Louisiana Tech University opened the $40 million Integrated Engineering and Science Building in December of 2019 in Ruston. Designed by Bledsoe Architects, the three-story, 130,000-sf facility offers engaging spaces for project-based learning such as prototyping suites, fabrication labs, and design studios.
The Ohio State University is planning to construct two collocated research facilities in its West Campus innovation district in Columbus. Designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners and Moody Nolan, the 305,000-sf Interdisciplinary Research Facility will provide a vivarium, support spaces, and wet, computational, and core labs for programs in engineering and medical research.
Florida Atlantic University hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for its $35 million Neuroscience Building in Jupiter in November of 2019. Construction will begin in summer of 2020 on the facility, which will provide shared research labs, faculty offices, a business incubator, and instructional space for programs in neuroscience, biotechnology, bioengineering, bioinformatics, and chemistry. The 58,000-sf project is strategically sited on the John D.
Michigan State University broke ground on the $85 million Doug Meijer Innovation Building in Grand Rapids in November of 2019. Designed by SmithGroup, the 205,000-sf facility will house multiple tenants including Spectrum Health, BAMF Health, and MSU's College of Human Medicine. The collaborative six-story building will enable the discovery and commercialization of new medical devices, artificial intelligence technologies, and treatments for cancer and dementia.
Amazon is planning to construct a $40 million robotics innovation hub in Westborough, Mass. The 350,000-sf facility will enable teams of researchers, engineers, and technicians to design, build, program, and test robots, including self-driving units for order fulfillment and warehouse management. The project will house R&D labs, manufacturing space, corporate offices, and a distribution center. Completion is expected in 2021.
Auburn University broke ground in November of 2019 on the $22 million Advanced Structural Testing Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. Designed by Chambless King Architects, the 41,500-sf building will provide the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering with a wind testing facility, a concrete materials research lab, a 4,700-cubic-foot geotechnical test chamber, and a high-bay lab with floors and walls capable of handling extreme structural testing loads.
North Carolina A&T State University is constructing the $90 million Engineering Research & Innovation Center in Greensboro. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering to promote experiential learning, the 130,000-sf teaching and research building will accommodate programs including cybersecurity, energy science, and health technology.
The Universities at Shady Grove opened the $175 million Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility in November of 2019 in Rockville, Md. Supporting programs in engineering, biotechnology, cybersecurity, and healthcare, the collaborative 228,805-gsf building houses 10 teaching labs, 12 active learning classrooms, two 120-seat lecture halls, maker spaces, a product design lab, academic offices, an atrium, and an entrepreneurship hub.
Bradley University opened the first phase of the Business and Engineering Convergence Center in October of 2019 in Peoria, Ill. Designed by Dewberry with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the $100 million building provides interactive teaching and research facilities for the Foster College of Business, the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology, and the Institute for Innovation through Collaboration.
The University of Houston System opened its $46.8 million Katy campus in October of 2019. Designed by SmithGroup, the three-story, 83,000-sf facility accommodates programs in nursing, engineering, business, education, computer science, mathematics, psychology, and political science, as well as supporting online instruction courses. The three-story building offers teaching labs, classrooms, learning studios, engineering capstone project rooms, a virtual library with computers, student lounges, a multipurpose room, and a self-serve convenience store.
Dixie State University broke ground on the $58 million Science, Engineering & Technology Building in October of 2019 in St. George, Utah. Designed by VCBO Architecture with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the five-story, 120,000-sf facility will promote experiential education with numerous active-learning classrooms and 26 science, engineering, and technology labs.
Visteon, a leading producer of digital automotive cockpit electronics, opened the Visteon Querétaro Technical Center in October of 2019 in Mexico. The 64,583-sf facility includes two floors of collaborative workspaces where engineers will develop advanced cockpit electronics products including instrument clusters, infotainment and information displays, and new technologies for connected and autonomous driving. Accommodating up to 600 employees, the center offers four stories of underground parking, a gym, an outdoor terrace, and a cafeteria.
Baldwin Wallace University broke ground in October of 2019 on the $25 million Austin E. Knowlton STEM Center in Berea, Ohio. Part of the school's strategic plan to meet the needs of growing industries for skilled graduates, the two-story, 55,000-sf project will accommodate programs in data science, artificial intelligence, mathematical modeling, cybersecurity, robotics, engineering, and physics.
