Higher Education

Construction began in November of 2011 on the $62.9 million Advanced Rare Isotope Laboratory (ARIEL) in Vancouver. The facility is being built at the University of British Columbia at TRIUMF, Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. The 36,662-sf project will include an underground beam tunnel for the production of rare isotopes for medicine and research. The duration of construction will be 18 months. The facility represents a collaborative partnership of thirteen universities led by the University of Victoria.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice opened a $600 million facility in New York in November of 2011. The 14-story, 625,000-sf integrated campus occupies a city block. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the project provides an open-air plaza, teaching and research labs, smart classrooms, emergency management and high-rise simulator labs, lecture halls, seminar rooms, faculty offices, a conference center, a moot court, and administrative space. John Jay College is part of the City University of New York system. 

Manchester University has awarded Bruntwood a $96.1 million contract to build a new facility for Manchester Business School. The first phase of construction comprises a hotel and conference center, with the second and third construction phases providing instructional space, administrative and faculty offices, and a resource and learning center. Construction will begin in 2012.

Utah State University’s USTAR BioInnovations Center was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification in October of 2011. The project team for the $60 million facility included AJC Architects and Gramoll Construction. The three-year project was completed within budget and ahead of schedule. Dedicated in October of 2010, the 118,000-sf building houses advanced life science research labs for several groups, including Synthetic BioManufacturing, Applied Nutrition Research, and Veterinary Diagnostics and Infectious Disease (VDID).

Huntsman Cancer Institute dedicated an $100 million expansion of its Salt Lake City hospital on October 28, 2011. Designed by Architectural Nexus and built by Okland Construction, the 156,000-sf addition doubles HCI's patient capacity. The expansion provides:

Orebro University Hospital has awarded NCC Construction Sweden a $38 million contract to build a research and teaching facility. The three-story, 124,861-sf building will house laboratories, instructional spaces, offices, a library, and a restaurant. Completion is expected in September of 2013.

The University of California, Berkeley dedicated the $267 million Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences in October of 2011. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, the 200,000-gsf, five-story facility provides 30 flexible research labs, a teaching lab, lecture halls, seminar rooms, a brain imaging center, and biocontainment space. An animal research laboratory and vivarium is located on the basement level. The center houses the Henry H. Wheeler Jr.

The University of Virginia dedicated the $75 million Physical and Life Sciences Research Building in October of 2011 in Charlottesville. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the five-story, 100,000-sf facility provides flexible research laboratories for 25 faculty members and their teams. The basement houses low-vibration space for advanced instrumentation. Construction manager W.M. Jordan Company of Richmond delivered the project in 39 months.

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.