Higher Education

Vanderbilt University broke ground in June of 2017 on a $26.3 million expansion of the School of Nursing in Nashville. The five-story, 30,000-sf structure will house technology-rich classrooms, conference and seminar rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and a clinical simulation training lab. The project team includes Hastings Architecture Associates, civil engineer Barge Cauthen & Associates, mechanical and electrical engineer Smith Seckman Reid, and general contractor D.F. Chase.

A post-occupancy evaluation for a new engineering facility at the University of Kansas (KU) illuminates the ways physical space influences STEM students’ experiences, and sets new standards for effectively studying project outcomes. According to Tim Reynolds, a principal with the Science & Technology studio of national architecture firm TreanorHL, “Too often, post-occupancy evaluations tend to be rather shallow—focused on things like lighting and furniture rather than actual program experience.

The RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center at Rutgers University is under construction in Piscataway, N.J. Supporting a world-class sports medicine program, the four-story, 295,000-sf facility will also include state-of-the-art practice facilities for men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics. The collaboration includes RWJBarnabas becoming the exclusive health care provider for Rutgers Athletics, as well as developing and managing the sports medicine curriculum and research activities.

High Point University will complete construction in summer of 2017 on the $120 million Congdon Hall in High Point, N.C. Housing the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, the 224,000-sf facility will feature a human biomechanics and physiology lab, a virtual reality and clinical gait analysis lab, advanced simulation training suites, and standardized client areas for interprofessional education. Congdon Hall was designed to support a variety of pedagogical styles to promote collaborative learning.

Randolph-Macon College dedicated the $17.5 Macon F. Brock, Jr. Hall in June of 2017 in Ashland, Va. Housing the departments of biology, chemistry, and environmental studies, the three-story, 30,000-sf science building provides teaching laboratories, research laboratories, faculty offices, and conference rooms. The facility was designed by Ballinger with Kjellstrom and Lee as general contractor. Construction began in May of 2016 on the project, which is expected to attain LEED sustainable design certification. 

The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa will begin construction in late 2017 on the $50 million Life Sciences Building in Honolulu. Designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the four-story, 45,000-sf facility will provide the College of Natural Sciences with classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, lab support spaces, and offices. Accommodating the departments of biology, microbiology, and botany, the building will also house the Pacific Biosciences Research Center and the Biological Electron Microscope Facility.

The Huntsman Cancer Institute opened the $173 million Primary Children’s and Families’ Cancer Research Center in June of 2017 in Salt Lake City. Providing advanced genetic sequencing technologies, the six-story, 242,000-sf facility houses biomedical laboratories, space for clinical trials, administrative offices, and a vivarium. The center was designed by Architectural Nexus with Jacobsen Construction as general contractor. The Huntsman Cancer Institute is part of the University of Utah. 

Stephen F. Austin State University is constructing the $46.4 million Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building in Nacogdoches, Texas. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the collaborative learning facility will accommodate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Housing the departments of computer science, physics, engineering, and astronomy, the building will feature a makerspace, a digital media lab, a planetarium, and collaboration spaces. The construction manager for the project is J.E. Kingham Construction Company.

Stonehill College broke ground in June of 2017 on the 36,000-sf Academic and Welcome Center in Easton, Mass. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the facility will serve as the gateway to the college for prospective students and their families, as well as a dynamic hub for academic and social activities. Located on the college’s main quad, the building will feature large classrooms and seminar rooms integrated with faculty offices to enhance interaction, a 380-seat auditorium, an outdoor terrace, and a variety of gathering spaces.

Texas A&M University broke ground in June of 2017 on the $70 million headquarters of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). Located on the RELLIS campus in Bryan, the 190,000-sf facility will provide advanced engineering research facilities for the creation of transportation technologies and strategies for the optimization of infrastructure, construction materials, driver safety, and automated vehicles. The building will include a single-story research wing with a vehicle simulator lab, a three-story conference wing, and a multi-story tower.

The University of Kansas is engaged in a $4 million renovation project to create the National Security Laboratory in Lawrence. Sited on the basement level of the Bioscience and Technology Business Center on the West Campus, the 7,000-sf facility will support collaborative research with the Department of Defense and other government agencies on radar, remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, signal processing, and sensors. The secure laboratory will accommodate up to 40 employees and is expected to open in spring of 2018. 

The University of Colorado will begin construction in July of 2018 on the $61.4 million William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Colorado Springs. Created in partnership with Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, an affiliate of Centura Health, the 104,000-sf facility will provide classrooms, research labs, and clinics for sports medicine, imaging, pain management, athletic training, and physical and occupational therapy.

Texas Tech University broke ground in June of 2017 on a 200,000-sf expansion of the Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. The $86 million project includes construction of University Center, a new campus hub providing research labs, administrative offices, classrooms, and conference rooms. The project also involves the addition of anatomical science facilities, including a technology-rich gross anatomy lab, and more parking areas. Completion is expected in summer of 2019. 

The University of Minnesota is planning to build the $109 million Health Sciences Education Center in Minneapolis. Designed by Perkins+Will, the project includes the creation of a new 142,100-sf facility and renovation of 52,000 sf of existing space. The center will feature active-learning classrooms, simulation training suites, and a technology-rich library. JE Dunn is the construction manager at-risk for the facility. Completion is expected in late 2019, pending project funding approval by the state legislature.

The University of Texas at San Antonio broke ground on the $95 million Science and Engineering Building in June of 2017. Designed by TreanorHL and Alamo Architects to promote interaction and collaboration, the multidisciplinary facility will provide research labs, teaching labs, active learning classrooms, and faculty offices to support programs in chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, and neurology.