Higher Education

A 56,065-gsf expansion of the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) opened in April of 2012 in Boulder, Colo. The project provides JILA, a research partnership of the University of Colorado and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with additional vibration-mitigated laboratory space. In addition to a wide range of studies in atomic, molecular, and optical physics, JILA also makes extremely precise measurements of ultrafast processes and at ultralow temperatures.

Missouri University of Science and Technology will begin construction in fall of 2012 on the $22.3 million James E. Bertelsmeyer Hall in Rolla. The three-story, 68,500-sf facility will house the department of chemical and biological engineering. Designed by Clark Enersen Partners of Kansas City, Bertelsmeyer Hall will provide teaching and research labs, lecture halls, offices, student lounges, and mechanical suites. Completion is expected in May of 2014.

Webster University dedicated the $29 million East Academic Building in St. Louis on March 28, 2012. The 94,323-sf facility houses the George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology, as well as other programs and services. The technology-rich building offers advanced teaching and learning spaces and is designed to foster interaction and interdisciplinary collaboration with 31 classrooms, 10 large computer labs, 48 offices, a 100-seat lecture hall, and two lobbies.

The University of Pennsylvania Law School dedicated the $33.5 million Golkin Hall in Philadelphia on April 5, 2012. The 40,000-sf building was designed by Kennedy & Violich Architecture of Boston to promote the collegial and collaborative environment that is central to Penn Law's educational mission. Golkin Hall creates a dramatic new entry to the Penn Law campus and provides an interdisciplinary environment where students can gather and exchange ideas.

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.