All lab work—experiments, equipment usage, write-ups—occurs on countertops, but these flat horizontal surfaces are rapidly changing. “Today, lab work surfaces need to be adaptable, flexible, ergonomic, mobile, reconfigurable, versatile, sustainable, design-oriented, aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective, and easy to install,” says Arnulf Penker, president of FunderMax, a designer and producer of wood-based materials and compact laminates in St. Veit an der Glan, Austria.
Idaho State University broke ground in May of 2017 on the $34 million Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine. Located adjacent to ISU’s Health Science Center in Meridian, the 94,000-sf facility is being built by Engineered Structures Inc. Completion is expected by fall of 2018.
Bowie State University opened the $102 million Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing in June of 2017 in Bowie, Md. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 149,000-sf facility provides a clinical simulation center, undergraduate teaching labs, a plant sciences greenhouse, and a three-story elliptical multipurpose space with 25,000 sf of dynamic window glazing.
The University of Luxembourg is building an animal research facility on its Belval campus in Esch-sur-Alzette. Supporting research programs in neurology, oncology, and immunology, the project will provide two breeding rooms, three surgical suites, three behavioral rooms, and vivarium space for approximately 6,000 mice and rats. Construction began on the facility in December of 2016 and occupancy is expected in September of 2017.
Ball State University has awarded F. A. Wilhelm Construction a $40 million contract to build the Health Professions Building in Muncie, Ind. Housing the College of Health, the $49 million project will include two structures, of four and five stories respectively, joined by a central core. The 165,000-sf facility will provide classrooms, labs, offices, simulation suites, clinical spaces, and a resource hub. Ground will be broken on the project in late June of 2017 with completion expected in June of 2019.
The University of Tennessee opened the 268,000-sf Strong Hall Science Laboratory in Knoxville in May of 2017. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative and Lewis Group Architects, the $114 million renovation project created a flexible, interdisciplinary facility to house the departments of anthropology and earth and planetary sciences, as well as providing teaching and research space for the departments of biology and chemistry.
Renovating an existing science facility or constructing a new building at today’s busy colleges requires the right approach in order to minimize the impact on students and faculty, while also adhering to the institution’s financial goals and strategic plan. It is important to design the project in a manner that allows students to complete their courses, and for faculty to maintain their research and teaching schedules. This is achieved with one of three phasing strategies: using 100 percent temporary facilities, no temporary space, or a hybrid of both.
The University of Southern California completed construction in June of 2017 on the $185 million Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience in Los Angeles. The 190,000-sf translational research facility offers collaborative labs and offices for 30 principal investigators, as well as housing a 7,200-sf microscopy imaging suite and a 10,000-sf nanofabrication cleanroom offering Class 100 and 1,000 capabilities.
The University of Montreal is building a CAD$350 million science complex on its Outremont campus. Designed by NFOE, Lemay, and MSDL Architects, the 592,000-gsf project will provide interdisciplinary research and teaching facilities for the departments of chemistry, physics, geography, and biological sciences. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the complex, which is being built by EBC at a construction cost of CAD$254 million.
Colorado State University broke ground in June of 2017 on the $65 million C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute in Fort Collins. The three-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences with clinical and research laboratories, a technology-rich surgical center, and a 200-seat auditorium. The project will support the creation of advanced biological therapies for both humans and animals, with applications being tested in veterinary patients as a precursor to the development of human treatments.
Durham College is building the $40 million Centre for Collaborative Education in Oshawa, Canada. Designed as a campus innovation hub, the 76,000-sf facility will house a business incubator and instructional spaces for programs in pharmacy and behavioral science. The sustainably designed project will feature a green roof, a living wall, a photovoltaic array, and energy-efficient lighting. Completion is expected in April of 2018.
Golden West College broke ground in May of 2017 on the 120,561-sf Mathematics and Science Building in Huntington Beach, Calif. Designed by HMC Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the three-story facility will support a pedagogical model of exploratory learning with 18 wet and dry science labs, interactive classrooms, computer labs, faculty offices, collaboration areas, and a STEM center.
Today, doctors seldom work alone, and often work with technology, so the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas knew they wanted to make team-based learning a central part of their curriculum. They just needed a space to back up that plan. With a class of 240 students and an intense learning program, they realized their vision by creating a technology-rich space big enough to accommodate the entire class at once, and flexible enough to divide into smaller spaces when needed.
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research opened the Advanced Research Centre for Infectious Diseases in May of 2017 at the University of Ghana in Accra. Supporting the detection, testing, and study of infectious diseases and pathogenic agents, the facility features animal research labs, a BSL-3 (P3) biocontainment lab, and vivarium space. Construction of the project, which includes a solar energy plant, was made possible by a $21 million grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The University of New Brunswick opened the Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in May of 2017 in Fredericton. Supported by $2.7 million in funding from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, the $5 million facility is Canada’s first 3D metal printing research center for the marine and defense industries. Created in partnership with Custom Fabricators and Machinists (CFM) and community colleges in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the project will also accommodate training and workforce development programs.
