Higher Education

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 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. 

Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAM HSC) has successfully implemented AssetWorks' AiM™ software solution. The implementation includes the systematic organization of design and construction digital data representing all the facility assets for TAM HSC. The AssetWorks Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system was implemented meeting or exceeding all target metrics of system performance, timing, and cost.

West Virginia University's new research cleanrooms are nearing completion. Part of a $33 million renovation of White Hall, the project will create a Class 100 Photolithography lab, a Class 1000 wet process lab, a Class 10,000 dry process lab, and a large Class 100,000 growth area lab. The labs will feature Bio-Gard germicidal wall lamination. The renovation was designed by IKM Architects with Jendoco Construction as general contractor; both firms are based in Pittsburgh.

Michigan State University is planning to break ground in summer of 2012 on the $615 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) in East Lansing. The project will be located in the existing MSU Cyclotron facility which will be renovated and expanded. Completion is expected in 2018. The facility will support advanced physics and nuclear science research for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The University of Waterloo is building a 45,000-sf digital media facility on its Stratford campus. Designed by ZAS Architects and built by Bondfield Construction, the three-story, $13.5 million facility will house media labs, project rooms, collaboration spaces, administrative offices, and an auditorium. Construction began in May of 2011 with completion expected in July of 2012. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. 

Fayetteville State University broke ground in August of 2011 on the $18 million Science and Technology Building in Fayetteville, N.C. The facility was designed by Heery International and Anshen + Allen, a part of Stantec. Supporting instruction in mathematics, computer science, chemistry, physics, and forensics, the four-story, 62,000-sf facility includes an office wing, a laboratory and classroom wing, and a central collaboration space. The construction manager is Rentenbach Constructors.

Bluegrass Community and Technical College broke ground in August of 2011 on the first building on its new campus in Lexington, Ky. The $28.3 million facility is expected to reach completion in spring of 2013. The four-story, 92,240-sf project will support education in programs including computer information technology.

The University of Illinois at Chicago opened the newly renovated College of Business Administration in August of 2011. The $11.7 million project created classrooms, open labs, conference rooms, administrative offices, and collaboration hubs in the existing Douglas Hall. The 24,000-sf facility supports experiential learning with advanced technology and specialized learning environments, including a market training lab. The renovation was designed by The Architects Enterprise. Construction began on the project in June of 2010.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington will begin construction in fall of 2011 on the $30 million Marine Biotechnology Center of North Carolina (MARBIONC). The 69,000-sf project will focus on the application of marine biotechnology to food, health, and energy. The facility will house 12 labs, offices, meeting rooms, and research space for industry partners.

The Alabama Robotics Technology Park opened the $8.3 million Advanced Research and Technology Center in August of 2011 in Decatur, Ala. Created in partnership with Calhoun Community College, the 30,000-sf facility provides robotics research, development, and testing space. General contractor EMJ Corporation began building the facility in June of 2010. The project represents the second phase of construction at the site, which also houses the 68,000-sf Robotic Maintenance and Training Center.

Tarrant County College opened the $185 million Trinity River East Campus in August of 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. The 148,000-sf facility features a sunken plaza with a waterway sited below street level, providing students with access to downtown amenities without crossing surface streets. Designed by Bing Thom Architects of Vancouver, B.C., the Trinity River East Campus provides classrooms, simulation suites, and a 110-seat auditorium for health science education and training.

The North Highland College completed the $14.8 million Engineering Technology and Energy Centre (ETEC) in July of 2011 in Thurso, Scotland. The facility was built by Morrison Construction and features advanced classrooms, workshops, and training rooms. ETEC will produce skilled personnel to support the needs of the energy industry. The North Highland College is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). 

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee broke ground on Innovation Park in August of 2011. Located in Wauwatosa, the 80-acre site represents a total capital investment of $500 million. Construction will begin in 2012 on the first facility at Innovation Park, a 25,000-sf business accelerator. A construction start date for the second $75 million building has not yet been set.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) has selected e-Builder Enterprise as their university-wide capital project management platform. e-Builder will provide SMU with a way to reduce cost and schedule risk across their entire capital program and streamline existing processes to increase efficiency.