Higher Education

The University of British Columbia opened the renovated Biological Sciences Complex in Vancouver on August 31, 2011. Designed by Acton Ostry Architects with RFD (Research Facilities Design) as laboratory design consultant, the $45 million project provides 61,670 sf of laboratory and support space. The 170,000-sf complex houses aquaria, informal research spaces, updated classrooms, seminar rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and gathering spaces for the Departments of Botany and Zoology. 

New River Community and Technical College broke ground on the 73,000-sf Raleigh County Campus and Central Administration Building in September of 2011. Located in Beaver, W.V., the $17.5 million facility will be built as two wings joined by an atrium, which will house student services, administrative offices, a cafe, and interaction space. One wing will provide teaching labs and classrooms and the other wing will house the 1,800-sf Allied Health facility. The project was designed by E.T.

Saint Leo University opened the $11 million Donald R. Taipa School of Business in September of 2011. The 47,921-sf facility features technology-rich classrooms with interactive touchscreen monitors with Internet connectivity.

Towson University opened the College of Liberal Arts complex on August 31, 2011. The 360,000-sf academic facility provides lecture halls, seminar rooms, classrooms, and faculty offices. The construction manager for the project was The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the complex. 

The University of Illinois is planning to build the $95 million Electrical and Computer Engineering Building in Urbana. The six-story, 230,000-sf facility will enable UI to consolidate programs currently housed in several locations. The design architect for the project is SmithGroup of Chicago.

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will dedicate the $120 million James E. Clyburn Research Center in October of 2011. The center includes a bioengineering building and a drug discovery facility to support collaborative research for MUSC, Clemson University, and the University of South Carolina. The project will provide over 200,000 sf of research space. 

Boise State University will open the $22 million Environmental Research Building in September of 2011. The five-story, 97,000-sf facility provides cleanrooms, freezer rooms, and 43 laboratories. The project also includes a 140-ft groundwater testing well and a connection to the city's geothermal heating system. Designed by RBB Architects to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the Environmental Research Building houses the Department of Geosciences, Civil Engineering, Political Science, and Public Policy and Administration.

Indiana University will break ground in January of 2012 on a $20 million science and engineering facility in Indianapolis. Supporting programs in biomedical engineering, psychobiology, and renewable energy research, the addition will house a vivarium and several laboratories. General contractor Keystone Construction will use BIM technology in the delivery of the project. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center opened the $70 million College of Pharmacy in August of 2011. Ground was broken on the six-story, 183,000-sf facility in fall of 2008. The building is located in the UT-Baptist Research Park in Memphis.

The University of Rochester opened the $10 million Integrated Nanosystems Center in September of 2011 in Rochester, N.Y. Located in the basement of the existing Goergen Hall for Biomedical Engineering and Optics, the facility is known as URNano and provides laboratory space for research and fabrication. 

Dakota Wesleyan University will break ground in September of 2011 on an $11.5 million health sciences center in Mitchell, S.D. The four-story, 48,000-sf facility will house teaching labs for chemistry, biology and physics, two research labs, four nursing simulation suites, classrooms, and faculty offices.

Colorado State University's Research Innovation Center was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification in August of 2011. Located on the Foothills Campus in Fort Collins, the 60,000-sf RIC facility houses a 7,700-sf animal research vivarium and several BSL-2 labs. The project architect was The FWA Group. The project includes a 54 kilowatt solar array, low-flow toilets, and low-VOC interior finishes. The operating cost of the building is expected to be 42 percent less than a comparable conventional facility.

The University of Texas Medical Branch is planning to build the $438 million Jennie Sealy Hospital in Galveston. The facility will provide a 50-bed ICU, 250 patient rooms, and advanced surgical suites. Occupancy is expected in early 2016.

Sault College will open a 75,000-sf academic facility in September of 2011 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The three-story complex provides 19 flexible classrooms, three learning commons, a 120-seat lecture hall, a justice studies suite with a forensic science lab and a combat training center, and space for the College's aviation program. The facility features sustainable design elements and was completed on-time and on-budget. 

The University of Texas at El Paso will open the College of Health Sciences and School of Nursing facility in September of 2011. The four-story, 138,000-sf building houses a clinical simulation center, classrooms, seminar rooms, study lounges, and laboratories for teaching and research.