Higher Education

Loyola Marymount University broke ground on a $110 million life sciences building in Los Angeles in May of 2013. Supporting programs in biology, chemistry, and natural sciences, the 103,500-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide 16,000 sf of research space, 34 teaching labs, classrooms, faculty offices, study lounges, and a 292-seat auditorium.  The project was designed by CO Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant.

The three-story, 42,000-gsf integrated teaching and research facility includes state-of-the-art laboratories—supporting biochemistry, environmental science and engineering, computer engineering, and acoustical engineering—as well as general-use classrooms. The central organizing atrium with its popular Science Café is both a thoroughfare and destination. Labs and classrooms open off the atrium, with progressively quieter zones for study and faculty office suites extending away from the atrium.

The Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions (C-NES) Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology integrates three distinct types of space to create a research environment that offers optimal flexibility. The 42,000-sf building is designed to facilitate research programs of today and tomorrow by featuring not only labs and offices, but also high-bay spaces capable of housing large or heavy pieces of equipment and mid-bay spaces where the equipment is usually less than 10 feet tall.

Royal Liverpool University Hospital is planning to construct a $511 million replacement facility in the United Kingdom. The public-private partnership project will be built by Carillion. Construction will begin in early 2014 with completion expected in 2017. Carillion will also provide support services for the sustainably designed hospital, which will accommodate 646 inpatient beds, a 40-bed critical care unit, 18 surgical suites, and an expanded emergency department. 

La Trobe University opened the $97 million Institute for Molecular Science in Melbourne in spring of 2013. Providing teaching and research facilities for biotechnology, nanotechnology, and molecular science, the six-story, 118,400-sf project houses 34 research and support laboratories, instructional space, academic offices, and a lecture hall. The facility was designed by Lyons Architects and built by Watpac Construction. Ground was broken on the project in February of 2011 and the facility was dedicated in late February of 2013.

Montclair State University is planning to build the $55 million Center for Environmental and Life Sciences in Montclair, N.J. The 107,500-gsf facility will provide seven interdisciplinary group research suites, six core labs, five office areas, classrooms, seminar rooms, a microscopy suite, and a 150-seat lecture hall. Supporting programs including pharmaceutical biochemistry, sustainability science, and medicinal chemistry, the center will also provide teaching and research space for biology, computing, and mathematics.

St. Norbert College broke ground on the $39.2 million Gehl-Mulva Science Center in May of 2013 in De Pere, Wis. Created in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin, the 150,000-sf facility will provide 36 teaching and research labs, classrooms, informal collaboration spaces, small-group workrooms, and a greenhouse. The project includes renovation of the existing Minahan Science Hall and construction of a 57,800-sf addition.

The University of Massachusetts, Suffolk Construction Company, and Architectural Resources Cambridge approached the UMass Medical School's Albert Sherman Center with three major goals in mind: to visualize the building using 3-D Virtual Design and Construction, manage construction through comprehensive Building Information Modeling, and collect that data in a usable format to better maintain and operate the building in the future.

Washington State University will break ground in August of 2013 on the $23 million Wine Science Center on the Tri-Cities campus in Richland. Designed by ALSC Architects of Spokane, the 39,300-sf research and teaching facility will provide laboratories, conference rooms, a wine library, and a winery that will function as a living laboratory for viticulture science. The general contractor for the design-build project is Lydig Construction. Completion is expected in July of 2014.

Stanford Hospital broke ground in May of 2013 on an 824,000-sf replacement facility in Palo Alto. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects in association with Lee, Burkhart, Liu, the patient-centered hospital will provide 17 operating rooms, advanced imaging suites, an emergency department, a Level One trauma center, and 368 private inpatient rooms. The sustainably designed facility will feature abundant natural light and five healing gardens. Completion is expected in 2017 with occupancy in early 2018.

Emory Healthcare broke ground in May of 2013 on the $200 million Emory Proton Therapy Center in Atlanta. The 107,000-sf facility will enable Emory's Winship Cancer Institute to provide advanced radiation oncology services. The center is being built in partnership with Advanced Particle Therapy of San Diego, CA. Occupancy is expected in 2016. The Winship Cancer Institute is Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated treatment facility and is part of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center.

The University of North Alabama broke ground on a $40 million science and technology building in Florence in May of 2013. The 120,000-sf facility will provide 26 labs, classrooms, auditoria, and faculty offices for the departments of biology, chemistry, engineering, earth science, physics, and industrial hygiene. The general contractor for the project is B.J. Harbert International of Birmingham. Completion is expected in mid-2015.

The University of British Columbia Centre for Comparative Medicine (CCM) is unique to British Columbia and is the largest facility of its kind in Western Canada. Spanning over 53,800 sf (5,000 square meters), the UBC CCM provides the flexibility to house and conduct research on medium- to large-sized animals and a variety of zoological species.

Temple University has selected Hill International to provide construction management services for its $180 million research library building in Philadelphia. The contract has an estimated value of $5 million and the duration of construction will be three and a half years. The four-story, 350,000-sf facility will house Temple's 1.5-million-volume collection and is expected to become a focal point for students, faculty, and the community.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) is building the $360 million Children's Hospital in Iowa City. Construction began on the 14-story facility in October of 2012 and completion is expected in spring of 2016. The 507,000-sf project will provide 134 new inpatient beds for a total of 189 beds. Two floors will be constructed below grade. The new Children's Hospital will enable UIHC to consolidate all pediatric services in a single location.