Higher Education

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is planning to build the $294 million Center for Innovative Science. The 350,000-sf facility will house 375 researchers and support staff. The project includes renovation of an existing 150,000-sf building and 200,000 sf of new construction. The Center for Innovative Science will accommodate research on personalized medicine, the biology of cancer and aging, and genetic and environmental factors that contribute to disease. Occupancy is expected in late 2014.

Ryerson University's $70.9 million School of Image Arts is nearing completion in Toronto. Designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects, the renovated facility will provide classrooms, studios, and an 18,000-sf photography gallery. The building features a high-performance curtainwall and glazing system that includes a programmable multimedia wall and LED lighting. The general contractor is PCL Constructors.

The University of Toledo will begin building the $36 million Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center in 2012. Located on the Health Sciences Campus in Toledo, Ohio, the three-story, 60,000-sf facility will provide virtual 3D imaging technologies for biomedical research and teaching, anatomy and surgical skills suites, and animatronic manikins for medical training. The project is supported by $18 million in funding from ProMedica.

UC Santa Barbara is planning to begin construction in 2012 on the 48,000-sf BioEngineering Building. The three-story building was designed by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects of Santa Monica and will provide research laboratories, offices, and a 100-seat auditorium. Housing the Center for BioEngineering, the facility will support research on detection and diagnostics, systems biology, biomaterials, and drug delivery. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. 

James Cook University will begin construction in fall of 2011 on the $25 million Cairns Institute. Designed by Woods Bagot and RPA Architects, the facility will support interdisciplinary social science and humanities research with a focus on life in the tropics. The Cairns Institute will house advanced research facilities, conference and seminar rooms, exhibition space, and a lecture hall. Occupancy is expected in January of 2013. 

The University of Wollongong opened the Simulation, Modelling and Analysis for Research and Teaching (SMART) Centre in August of 2011. Designed by Graham Bell & Bowman Architects, the four-story, 129,167-sf facility will support the implementation of a national integrated infrastructure plan for Australia. The SMART Centre houses 30 specialized research laboratories for the study of services such as electricity, water, and transportation. The labs are connected by a simulation center that creates scalable infrastructure models.

The University of Michigan will open the $754 million C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital in Ann Arbor in November of 2011. The 1.1 million-sf building features entirely private rooms and 32 adult bone marrow transplant beds. The hospital comprises a 12-story inpatient wing and a 9-story outpatient wing. The facility provides 348 beds, 16 operating rooms, and two interventional radiology rooms. The duration of construction was five years. 

The University of Texas Health Science Center dedicated the $150 million South Texas Research Facility in San Antonio in October of 2011. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects to promote translational research and interdisciplinary collaboration, the three-story building houses open labs for up to 20 teams of investigators, each with eight members. The facility also provides research offices, a tissue culture, a core imaging suite, and a bioinformatics lab.

Oregon Health & Science University broke ground on the $295 million Collaborative Life Sciences Building in Portland in October of 2011. Designed by Sera Architects, the 480,000-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, and lecture halls. The building will also house the OHSU School of Dentistry. Occupancy is expected in spring of 2014. The facility is located on the Schnitzer Campus and is being created in partnership with Portland State University and Oregon State University.

The University of Kentucky dedicated the Davis Marksbury Building in Lexington in October of 2011. Part of the College of Engineering, the three-story, 45,014-sf facility provides teaching and research labs, a 100-seat auditorium, a visualization suite, faculty offices, and administrative space. The building houses the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the UK Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments. The project was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification in August of 2011. 

Cornell University dedicated the $71 million Human Ecology Building in October of 2011 in Ithaca, N.Y. Designed by Gruzen Samton, the 89,000-sf facility houses classrooms, labs, a wood and metal shop, and a 280-car parking garage.  The building also provides studios for design, drawing, and fabrication. Construction started on the project in 2005. 

The University of New Mexico’s Science and Math Learning Center was awarded Gold sustainable design certification in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Schools rating system in October of 2011. The LEED for Schools rating system is unique among other LEED programs as it addresses core learning areas and requires higher performance standards for air quality, acoustics, daylighting, and thermal comfort. Van H.

Purdue University Calumet opened the newly renovated Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation in October of 2011. The 6,300-sf multidisciplinary research center is located on the first floor of the Powers Computer Education Building on the Calumet campus in Hammond, Ind. The $2.7 million renovation and expansion project provides updated simulation and visualization labs, including an immersive research theater and a 3D virtual classroom.

Bishop Fenwick Place, Xavier University’s new residential and dining complex, was dedicated in September of 2011 in Cincinnati. Designed by Shepley Bulfinch, Fenwick Place is home to 535 sophomores with suite-style living in four connected wings that rise above a green terrace. The terrace also serves as the roof of Hoff Dining Commons, the university’s new central dining facility. The new Commons seats up to 700 and a retail component with seating spills onto the patio outside.