Higher Education

The University of British Columbia opened the $133 million Pharmaceutical Sciences Building in September of 2012 in Vancouver. The 246,182-sf facility provides collaborative learning spaces and multidisciplinary research labs. The building houses both the Centre for Drug Research and Development and the Centre for High-Throughput Phenogenomics, which includes an advanced imaging suite. The facility was designed by Saucier + Perrotte Architects and Hughes Condon Marler Architects (HCMA).

SUNY Orange broke ground on the Center for Science and Technology in September of 2012. Located in Middletown, N.Y., the four-story, 100,000-sf facility provides classrooms, science labs, faculty offices, configurable lecture halls, computer labs, study spaces, and a cafe. Completion is expected in summer of 2014.

Nova Southeastern University opened the $50 million Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research in September of 2012. Located at NSU's Oceanographic Center in Hollywood, Fla., the five-story, 86,000-sf facility provides collaborative laboratories for multidisciplinary research, an 85-seat auditorium, and a marine science library. The project was supported by a $15 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Ground was broken on the facility in March of 2011.

The University of Washington opened the $77 million Molecular Engineering & Sciences building in Seattle in September of 2012. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, the four-story, 90,300-sf facility provides collaborative labs for interdisciplinary research in bioengineering, nanotechnology, materials science, energy, and protein-based therapeutics. The building was constructed on a thick slab for vibration mitigation and houses advanced instrumentation for molecular measurement.

The University of Rochester Medical Center broke ground in September of 2012 on the $145 million Golisano Children's Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. The eight-story, 245,000-sf facility will provide 52 private inpatient rooms, a 60-bed neonatal ICU, an imaging suite, a playdeck, and a healing garden. Occupancy is expected in 2015. 

Washington State University dedicated the Paul G. Allen Center for Global Animal Health in September of 2012 in Pullman, Wash. The three-story, 62,000-sf facility features a 5,000-sf BSL-3 laboratory for infectious disease research as well as two floors of BSL-2 research space and an administrative wing housing offices and conference rooms. The facility was designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects and built by Bouten Construction.

Virginia Commonwealth University broke ground on a $168 million outpatient pavilion at Children's Hospital of Richmond in September of 2012. Designed by HKS, the 640,000-sf facility will provide 72 exam rooms, surgical suites, a medical laboratory, and space for diagnostic imaging and testing. The project will consolidate all outpatient pediatric services in a single location. The general contractor for the facility is Skanska. Completion is expected in 2015. 

The University of Rhode Island opened its $75 million College of Pharmacy building in September of 2012 in Kingston. Designed by Payette, the 144,000-sf teaching and research facility provides laboratories, lecture halls, classrooms, a tissue culture suite, a simulation lab, a 3D visualization auditorium, and clinical space. A $6 million cGMP facility will open in late fall of 2012. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the building, which uses 20 percent less energy than a comparable conventional structure.

Tufts University School of Medicine will begin construction in fall of 2012 on the 1,700-sf Arnold 8 Biosafety Laboratory. The BSL-3 facility will be located in the Biomedical Research and Public Health Building in Boston and will support interdisciplinary research on tuberculosis. The estimated cost of construction is $3.5 million. Completion is expected in 2013. 

The University of Texas Health Science Center opened a 300,000-sf facility for the School of Dentistry in September of 2012. The six-story building is located on the South Campus of the Texas Medical Center in Houston and features labs, classrooms, lecture halls, simulation suites, and operatories to support innovative, evidence-based curricula and advanced teaching methods.

The University of British Columbia has completed the $75 million Earth Sciences Building in Vancouver. Designed by Perkins + Will, the 157,000-sf facility comprises two five-story wings connected by a spacious atrium and provides teaching and research labs, classrooms, lecture halls, seminar rooms, and a museum. The 35,000-sf laboratory wing includes labs for biology, chemistry, geochemistry, and ocean sciences. Construction began on the facility in mid-2010.

Connecticut College opened its updated science center on August 31, 2012. A $25.3 million renovation and expansion of New London Hall created a 21,100-sf facility for the departments of biology, botany, and computer science. The center provides interdisciplinary teaching and research space including classrooms, labs, a greenhouse, and collaboration areas. The project team included architectural firm Payette and KBE Building Corporation.

Kent State University is planning a $186 million campus redevelopment project. A $40 million, 120,000-sf facility will be built to house the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, as well as a $15 million facility for the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability, and Technology. The building housing the School of Art will undergo a $25 million renovation. Multidisciplinary lab space will be created in several existing facilities with an investment of $80 million.

Indiana University Health opened a 270,000-sf clinical neuroscience building in August of 2012 in Indianapolis. The facility is named Goodman Hall and will provide collaborative research and treatment including outpatient care, clinical and research imaging, and multiple neuroscience specialties. An adjacent $52 million, 138,000-sf neuroscience research facility is slated for completion in 2014. 

The $354 million Translational Research Institute (TRI) Queensland will be completed in late 2012 in Brisbane. The project is a joint venture of the University of Queensland, Mater Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, and Princess Alexandra Hospital, where the facility is located. The 345,000-sf center will support integrated research, production, testing, and manufacturing of biopharmaceutical therapies.