Higher Education

Swansea University completed construction of a seven-story, 64,583-sf dual-function research facility in March of 2012. The $46.33 million Institute of Life Science Phase II houses clinical research space, an imaging suite with MRI and CT scanners, and the Centre for Health Informatics, Research and Evaluation. The $35.14 Centre for NanoHealth is located on the ground floor of the building and provides advanced labs, a cleanroom, and nano-probe and e-beam instrumentation. The facility features a full-height glazed atrium, business incubator space, and a cafe.

The University of California, Berkeley has chosen Skire Unifier as its new solution for managing capital construction projects across the campus. UC Berkeley's footprint includes 14 colleges and schools and the Project Management Unit of Capital Projects oversees everything from small renovation and landscape projects to major construction and infrastructure endeavors.

The University of North Florida dedicated the $39.4 million Biological Sciences Building in March of 2012 in Jacksonville. The 116,500-sf facility provides 17 teaching labs, 37 offices, and 28 faculty research labs for the study of ecology, genetics, molecular biology, aquatics, physiology, and virology. Designed by a joint venture of Perkins + Will and Harvard Jolly, the building also houses four lecture halls, conference rooms, a necropsy lab, and a greenhouse. Construction began on the four-story project in July of 2010.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis broke ground on the $25 million Science and Engineering Laboratory Building in March of 2012. Supporting programs in biomedical engineering, psychobiology, information technology, and renewable energy research, the 81,500-gsf project will house teaching and research labs, meeting rooms, and administration. The facility will include nearly 34,000-sf of research and classroom space.

Temple University will begin construction in June of 2012 on a $137 million science and research building in Philadelphia. Designed by USA Architects, the 250,000-sf facility will include a 400-seat lecture hall, technology-rich classrooms, research labs, faculty offices, conference rooms, and an atrium. Completion is expected in spring of 2014. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which will feature light shelves for daylight harvesting and a storm water management system. 

City Colleges of Chicago will build the $31.6 million Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL) Center at Olive-Harvey College. The 200,000-sf building will include labs, classrooms, a technology-rich warehouse, and virtual reality simulation facilities. Construction is expected to begin in spring of 2013 and reach completion in spring of 2015. LEED sustainable design certification will be sough for the project. 

The University of Texas at Dallas is planning to build an $85 million Bioengineering and Sciences facility. The project will provide classrooms, faculty offices, and laboratories for teaching and research. Construction will begin in November of 2013 with completion expected in December of 2015.

The University of Sydney has selected Brookfield Multiplex to build the $230 million Charles Perkins Centre on the Camperdown campus. The research and education facility will support the study, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Accommodating 950 researchers and 1,455 undergraduates, the 502,675-sf project will house laboratories, clinical research space, a biobank, a flow cytometry suite, and advanced imaging technologies.

The University of South Florida opened the $38 million Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in February of 2012 in Tampa. The three-story building includes medical training labs, simulation suites, lecture halls, classrooms, and offices. Ground was broken on the 90,000-sf facility in October of 2010 and the fast-tracked project was completed in less than 14 months. The Beck Group provided design and construction management services for the project. 

The University of British Columbia opened the $40 million Centre for Comparative Medicine in March of 2012 in Vancouver. The animal research facility provides biomedical research labs and vivarium space. The three-hectare project will replace UBC's existing Animal Care Center and implements new animal welfare and humane animal care standards, including social housing and outside access. 

Wilkes University broke ground on a $35 million science building in March of 2012 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The 72,500-sf facility will provide collaborative learning spaces including laboratories and classrooms, as well as business incubator space to support interactive research with The Commonwealth Medical College, Geisinger Health System, and Community Health Care. The building will house the departments of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, health sciences, environmental engineering, and earth sciences.

Louisiana State University opened the $52 million Business Education Complex in March of 2012 in Baton Rouge. The new 156,000-sf home of the E.J. Ourso College of Business includes four buildings. A 56,000-sf facility houses administration, academic affairs, and interaction space. The two-story Undergraduate Pavilion provides classrooms, labs, and faculty offices. The Graduate Pavilion houses team rooms, study space, and faculty offices. Lastly, a two-story, 12,600-sf auditorium can accommodate up to 300 people. Ground was broken on the project in March of 2010.

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics celebrated the opening of the $12 million Holden Cancer Center in February of 2012. Offering state-of-the-art care in 64,000 sf of renovated space, the facility is located on two floors in the Pomerantz Family Pavilion. It includes new clinic and infusion bay areas in a modern, patient-friendly environment, providing everything from chemotherapy to radiation and other treatments. The new cancer clinic provides a significant increase in patient space from the prior facility, which was located in an adjacent building.

Wake Forest University opened the 242,000-sf Biotech Place in February of 2012 in Winston-Salem, N.C. Located in Piedmont Triad Research Park, the facility underwent a $100 million renovation to provide 217,000 sf of research space for 320 employees of Wake Forest University Health Sciences. The building also includes a 25,000-sf business incubator. Wexford Science and Technology LLC of Baltimore was the developer of the BioTech Place. 

The University of Tartu has selected Nordecon AS to design and build a $12 million translational medicine facility on Toomemägi Hill in Tartu, Estonia. Construction will begin on the three-story, 61,484-sf project in summer of 2012. The center will be built as an extension of the existing Chemistry Building and will include an animal vivarium, research labs, a cleanroom, surgical suites, an MRI imaging department, offices, and seminar rooms.