Engineering

The University of Massachusetts Amherst broke ground in April of 2023 on the $125 million Sustainable Engineering Laboratories. Envisioned as a dynamic hub for clean energy innovation, the 78,000-sf facility will provide technology-rich environments for immersive teaching and research programs. Featuring flexible, multimodal classrooms, the highly efficient building will include a regional energy operations center, a smart microgrid for renewable energy integration, and test beds for energy generation, distribution, usage, and storage.

The Ohio State University opened the $237.5 million Pelotonia Research Center in May of 2023 in Columbus. Collocating research programs in life sciences, engineering, data sciences, and environmental health, the 305,000-sf building will accelerate the creation of novel solutions for complex scientific problems. Pelli Clarke & Partners and Moody Nolan designed the five-story structure with integrated laboratory neighborhoods to foster collaboration and discovery.

The University of Pennsylvania has begun construction on the $68.3 million Amy Gutmann Hall in Philadelphia. Providing a centralized home for both undergraduate and research programs in data science, the 116,000-sf facility will collocate shared resources to make data analysis tools more accessible to the entire university community. Designed by Lake Flato and KSS Architects, the six-story structure will offer teaching labs, active learning classrooms, collaboration spaces, a 200-seat auditorium, and an expansive student commons.

California State University Northridge (CSUN) broke ground in April of 2023 on the $50 million Autodesk Technology Engagement Center in Lost Angeles. Accommodating programs for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the two-story, 34,000-sf facility will feature flexible laboratories for research, design, digital capture, prototyping, and fabrication, as well as a maker space that will be accessible to the entire campus community and beyond.

Clemson University broke ground in May of 2023 on the $130 million Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in Clemson, S.C. Housing the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the 143,000-sf center will also accommodate select faculty from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering as they explore interdisciplinary synergies and endeavors. Collaborative research suites will enable teams of investigators to discover new technologies for advanced manufacturing, energy, and health.

The University of California, Berkeley broke ground on a $95 million expansion of the Bechtel Engineering Center in April of 2023. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the 35,570-sf project will add two new floors to the 43-year-old structure to create a vibrant nexus for multidisciplinary innovation. A transparent steel and glass pavilion will leverage floor-to-ceiling windows, exterior terraces, and a central skylight to provide enhanced access to natural light and views, with an extended canopy porch minimizing direct solar exposure.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison broke ground in April of 2023 on a $260 million facility for the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences. Designed by LMN Architects and Kahler Slater, the 342,990-sf project will act as a beacon of innovation for Wisconsin’s growing tech ecosystem while meeting an increased demand for programs in robotics, cybersecurity, software design, and machine learning.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville broke ground on the $63 million Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building in April of 2023. Providing the College of Engineering with world-class teaching and research venues, the 80,000-sf facility will equip students with the vital skills needed to participate in the state’s aerospace, biotechnology, and manufacturing industries. Collaborative learning environments will enhance knowledge exchange while offering unique opportunities for hands-on training.

Texas A&M University has created an integrated Engineering Medicine (EnMed) program designed to train medical school students who possess degrees in engineering, computer science, physics, and/or related career experience, to identify and solve significant healthcare problems. These physicianeers graduate in four years with both medical doctor (MD) and a unique master of engineering (M.Eng.) degree that is focused on the design and implementation of medical technologies. To fulfill this mission, Texas A&M has renovated and modernized a former bank office building into the 144,000-sf EnMed Tower, equipped with large reconfigurable learning studios, simulation spaces, flexible classrooms, multidisciplinary labs, maker spaces, and virtual anatomy labs that leverage virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. The school will graduate it first class of physicianeers on May 20.

The University of Arizona opened the $85 million Applied Research Building April of 2023 in Tucson. Collocating investigators from four colleges and eight departments, the three-story, 89,000-sf structure offers state-of-the-art laboratories for engineering, applied physical sciences, and advanced manufacturing.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory opened the $86 million Integrated Engineering Research Center in April of 2023 in Batavia, Ill. Designed by Perkins+Will with Arup as as structural & MEP engineer, the 80,000-sf facility collocates engineers, technicians, and scientists at the heart of Fermi's campus. Providing next-generation infrastructure for advanced particle physics, the flexible and modular building features reconfigurable labs, design studios, and testing suites.

Texas A&M University will break ground in summer of 2023 on the $150 million Law & Education Building in Fort Worth. Designed by Stantec and Pelli Clarke & Partners, the 225,000-gsf facility will provide flexible classrooms and teaching labs for courses in business, engineering, law, and health sciences. The nine-story structure will also include maker spaces and research labs that can be used by the public and private sectors for academic programs, workforce training, and collaborative discovery.

Savannah River National Laboratory began construction in April of 2023 on a $50 million facility located on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Designed by Page and STOA Architects, the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) will enable the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management to engage in shared discovery with academic institutions, industry partners, and government agencies at the city, state, and federal level.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has created the Global Occupant Behavior Database, a publicly accessible resource that can provide actionable insights about how buildings are used. Compiling data collected by 39 institutions in 15 countries, the database was developed in collaboration with researchers from Syracuse University, the University of Georgia, Texas A&M University, and Technical University of Denmark.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is constructing the 65,000-sf Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health in New York. Designed by HOK, the project includes the redevelopment of a former nursing residence into a world-class research hub that will drive innovation in genomics, precision imaging, and multiscale disease modeling. The 12-story facility will become the first of its kind within a U.S. medical school when it opens in late 2023.