Higher Education

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is planning to break ground in early 2013 on the $35 million Cancer and Biomedical Science Research Center in Jackson. The 220,000-sf facility will provide an animal research vivarium,  labs for the UMMC Cancer Institute, and a 25,000-sf business incubator for biotechnology companies. The project is supported by $20 million in funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The first three floors of the building will be ready for occupancy in 18 months.

The University at Buffalo has selected HOK to design the new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The $375 million medical school will be built to attain LEED Gold certification. Construction will begin by fall of 2013 with completion expected in 2016. The facility will be integrated with UB's academic medical center to promote a synthesis of instruction, research, and treatment. 

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth broke ground on the Massachusetts Accelerator for Biomanufacturing (MAB) in Fall River in May of 2012. Upon completion in fall of 2013, the MAB will be the only facility in the United States where startups will be able to test their biomanufacturing methods and bioproducts at every stage of development and access full-service support from business and marketing to science support.

Buffalo State College is building the $110 million Science and Mathematics Complex in Buffalo, N.Y. The project includes construction of a 96,000-sf facility to house the departments of biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and earth sciences. Designed by Cannon Design, the project will provide teaching and research labs, offices, a planetarium, instrumentation rooms, and a three-story atrium. Ground was broken on the facility in September of 2009.

Cooper University Hospital began building the $100 million Cooper Cancer Institute in May of 2012 in Camden, N.J. Designed by Francis Cauffman, the four-story, 103,000-sf facility will provide comprehensive cancer services in a single location and will support the integration of translational research with patient care.  Completion is expected in September of 2013.

Construction was completed on Brock University's $111 million Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Research Complex in May of 2012. Located in St. Catherines, Ontario, the five-story, 169,000-sf facility will provide space for the Niagara campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine as well as housing a business incubator, a CL3 biocontainment lab, a photophysical sciences lab, and a synthetic chemistry lab. The complex will accommodate research in infectious diseases, biotechnology, plant pathology, green chemistry, and biomedical science. 

The University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro opened in May of 2012. The $445 million, 630,000-sf facility provides 231 beds in single-patient rooms and houses centers of care for cancer, cardiology, emergency, maternity, neuroscience, pediatrics, and surgery. Designed by HOK and RMJM Hillier to meet LEED sustainable design criteria, the facility features an energy recovery system, a cogeneration plant, photovoltaic panels, and an advanced curtainwall system.

Northwestern University broke ground in May of 2012 on the $117 million Music and Communication Building in Evanston, Ill. Designed by Goettsch and Partners of Chicago, the 152,000-gsf facility will house a 400-seat recital hall, a 150-seat theatre, teaching labs and studios, classrooms, practice rooms, and faculty and administrative offices. The fifth floor of the building will provide departmental space for the School of Communication. Construction will begin in early summer of 2012 and occupancy is expected in September of 2015.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock opened the $15 million Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences in May of 2012. The five-story, 50,534-sf project provides research facilities for scientists and students to explore the interface between nanomaterials, plant biology, and mammalian biology, and houses advanced laboratories, offices, and a rooftop greenhouse. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the building.

The University of South Alabama is engaged in a $72 million expansion of the Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile. Construction began in December of 2010 on a five-story, 195,000-sf pediatric wing that will include eight operating rooms, a 20-bed ICU, a neonatal ICU, and 68 inpatient rooms. The construction cost of the addition is $45 million. The balance will fund the creation of a new central energy plant and the purchase of medical equipment.

The University at Buffalo dedicated the $75 million Barbara and Jack Davis Hall in May of 2012. Housing the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the 130,000-sf facility provides flexible laboratories, classrooms, and seminar rooms for interdisciplinary research and education.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dedicated the $87 million Koury Oral Health Sciences Building in April of 2012. Designed by Flad Architects, the five-story, 216,000-sf facility features technology-rich lecture halls, five 30-seat seminar rooms, flexible laboratories, and a 105-seat simulation and training center. The building was constructed by KBR. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which includes a system to capture and use condensate water from mechanical equipment.  

Middle Tennessee State University broke ground on its $147 million Science Building in Murfreesboro in May of 2012. Providing over 250,000 sf for STEM education (programs in science, technology, engineering, and math), the facility will include seven teaching labs, a 150-seat lecture hall, two-tiered discussion classrooms, and advanced instrumentation suites.

Binghamton University is planning to build the $70 million Smart Energy Research and Development Facility in Vestal, N.Y. The project will support the development of industry partnerships and will accommodate research programs in solar and thermoelectric energy harvesting, energy storage, energy efficiency in electronic systems, and sensor development for energy resource management. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2012 and reach completion by fall of 2017.

The University of Texas Medical Branch broke ground on the $438 million Jennie Sealy Hospital in Galveston in April of 2012. The world-class academic health center will provide 310 patient rooms, advanced operating suites, a 28-bed day surgery unit, and a 54-bed intensive care unit. Completion is expected in 2015 with occupancy in 2016.