Higher Education

The Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) has completed Phase I of a renovation and expansion project aimed at increasing the size of its entering medical doctor class by 78 percent, from 56 students in 2009 to 100 by 2016. Phase I involved four relatively small projects—all renovations of existing space—that will have a major programmatic impact: the addition of a state-of-the-art animal surgery suite, a graduate teaching laboratory, a renovated library, and a renovated research laboratory that consolidates MSM’s four core biomedical research areas.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) opened the $25 million Science and Engineering Laboratory Building in fall of 2013. Designed by BSA LifeStructures in conjunction with Blackburn Architects, the collaborative 45,000-sf facility houses multidisciplinary research labs, classrooms for the School of Science and the School of Engineering and Technology, meeting rooms, and administrative space.

Eastern Kentucky University's utility costs have remained stable over the last two years due to the implementation five years ago of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Siemens Building Technologies. Aiming to generate savings and address deferred maintenance needs, the $27 million contract included extensive infrastructure upgrades to HVAC, lighting, and water systems, as well as the integration of building automation technologies.

The University of Warwick is partnering with Jaguar Land Rover and Warwick Manufacturing Group to create the $160 million National Automotive Innovation Campus in Coventry in the United Kingdom. Housing over 900 staff from academia and industry, the 322,000-sf research facility will provide engineering labs, design studios, virtual reality suites, demonstration areas, and instructional space. Construction is expected to begin on the project in September of 2014.

Stony Brook University broke ground on the $194 million Medical and Research Translation (MART) building in November of 2013. The eight-story, 250,000-sf facility will accommodate up to 250 faculty members working in collaboration with physicians and medical professionals to develop advanced cancer treatments and medical imaging technologies. MART will provide 25 cancer biology labs, a 30-room cancer clinic, a 30-station clinical infusion center, a 300-seat auditorium, 12 classrooms, and conference rooms.

Clemson University’s three-story, 100,000-gsf Life Science Building contains 25 research laboratories, three teaching laboratories, a state-of-the-art Leica Microsystems imaging suite, and a range of high-tech support space. A key component of the University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS), the building is designed for interdisciplinary and collaborative faculty research and teaching focused on emerging pathogens, cancer cures and prevention, microbiology, and food safety.

North Central College is planning to build a $60 million science center in Naperville, Ill. Designed by Chicago-based Holabird & Root, the 125,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide classrooms, teaching laboratories, collaborative research space, and interaction areas for programs in biology, chemistry, and physics. The center will also support instruction in math, computer science, psychology, and business. The project manager is U.S. Equities Realty. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2017.

IBM opened a 21,000-sf commercial technology R&D facility in Nairobi in November of 2013. The lab will house researchers leveraging powerful analytical tools, such as cognitive computing systems, to develop solutions to Africa's unique challenges for energy, healthcare, agriculture, water, transportation, and public safety. The facility is located at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and features a dynamic cloud-enabled computing hub.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy will begin construction in spring of 2014 on a $50 million teaching and research building. The six-story, 213,000-sf facility will house classrooms, study areas, a library, an auditorium, and 30,000 sf of research space. The project team includes architect Cannon Design and construction manager Paric Corp. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2015. 

Clemson University opened the 5,000-sf Clemson Nanomaterials Center in October of 2013. Supporting interdisciplinary nanotechnology research in areas such as superconducting materials and energy generation and storage technologies, the lab provides advanced spectroscopy and microscopy equipment, an electric arc system, and chemical vapor deposition systems.

The new teaching facility for the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University contains all of the components for the first two years of medical school, creating a “home” for the Medical School on a completely new urban campus and supporting an increase in class size from 100 to 120 students. Medical School admissions applications increased from 2,825 in 2010 (when construction commenced) to 4,725 in 2012 (post-occupancy), an increase of 67 percent, and there are 70 applicants for every position. Annual fundraising for medical programs increased 15 percent from 2011 to 2012.

Columbia University Medical Center will begin construction in late 2014 on a new School of Nursing facility. The seven-story, 68,000-sf facility will provide advanced, flexible learning spaces, research suites, an atrium lobby, and event areas. Designed by a joint venture of CO Architects and FXFOWLE Architects, the project will feature a two-floor simulation training center with three clinical teaching skills labs housing 14 exam tables with mannequins and six beds.

The University of Missouri–St. Louis began building the $32 million Science Learning Building on October 29, 2013. Designed by Christner, the four-story, 75,000-sf facility will feature technology-rich teaching labs and a central collaboration atrium. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project and completion is expected in December of 2015. The general contractor is K&S Associates of St. Louis.

Carthage College will begin construction in spring of 2014 on a $45 million upgrade of its science center in Kenosha, Wis. The 70,000-sf Center for Natural and Social Sciences will be renovated and a new 35,000-sf wing will be constructed. Built by Riley Construction, the project will provide collaborative teaching and research space and will feature a two-story glass atrium. Completion is expected in fall of 2015.

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center VANTAGE Laboratory consolidates physically separate research facilities into one shared space in order to optimize collaboration and acceleration of new biological and clinical discoveries. The renovation of 13,300 gsf of underutilized and aged space in the original 1925 Medical Center building in the heart of the medical campus co-locates six existing cores: Genome Technology, BioVU (Vanderbilt’s DNA repository), DNA Resources, DNA Sequencing, Vanderbilt Microarray Shared Resource, and Flow Cytometry.