Higher Education

The University of North Texas (UNT) broke ground on the Zero Energy Research Laboratory in Denton in July of 2011. Located in UNT’s Discovery Park, the 1,200-sf facility will include a utility core and an open flexible laboratory for sustainable energy and building systems research. The $1.15 million project is expected to reach completion in early 2012. Jacobs Engineering Group is the architect of record and the general contractor is Nouveau Construction. 

The Sustainable Energy Technology Center (SENTEC) is under construction in Danville, Va. The $8 million, 26,000-sf building is located at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and is affiliated with Virginia Tech. The center was designed by Dewberry with Lord, Aeck & Sargent as laboratory planner and Perigon as engineer.

The University of Winnipeg opened the 155,000-sf Science Complex and Richardson College for the Environment in June of 2011. The $67 million project features 30 research and teaching labs, classrooms, offices, a vivarium, a digital media lab, and a rooftop greenhouse. The facility houses the departments of biology, chemistry, and environmental studies. LEED certification will be sought for the building, which includes a four-story atrium with nine living trees. Ground was broken on the project in November of 2008.

The University of Edinburgh opened the $97 million Roslin Institute in June of 2011. Designed by HDR Architecture, the center houses animal health research and education facilities including the Scottish Agricultural College and the Royal Veterinary School. The building reflects the shape of a chromosome with strands of offices interwoven with strands of laboratories, connected by conference rooms and interaction spaces. The facility includes a 250-seat auditorium, a library, and a freezer archive.

The University of Missouri will break ground in early 2012 on a $45 million expansion of the Discovery Ridge Research Park in Columbia. The project will be built in phases and the first building has an estimated construction cost of $15 million. The completed three-building, 225,000-sf campus will provide mixed-use lab and office space for life science companies as well as supporting commercialization of research discoveries.  The project is being developed by CarrBaierCrandall.

North Dakota State University dedicated the Beef Cattle Research Complex in June of 2011. Supporting research in animal nutrition and physiology, genetics, and food safety, the $3.3 million center includes accommodation for 192 cattle, a feed mixing and storing facility, a laboratory, and office space.

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin completed construction of the $54 million Science and Technology Building in July of 2011. Housing the departments of chemistry, physics, biology, and computer science, the 100,000-sf facility will provide 32 research and teaching labs, 32 faculty offices, two 100-seat lecture halls, and one 200-seat lecture hall. Occupancy is expected in August of 2011.

The University of Delaware is building the $131.8 million Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Laboratory (ISE-Lab) in Newark. The 194,000-sf facility will provide advanced classrooms, teaching labs, and core research spaces. The ISE-Lab will house the University of Delaware Energy Institute, the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, the Delaware Environmental Institute, and the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation. Completion is expected in summer of 2013.

The University of Oregon is constructing the $65 million Lewis Integrative Science Building in Eugene. Designed by THA Architecture and HDR with Lease Crutcher Lewis as construction manager, the five-story facility will provide 100,000 sf of interdisciplinary research, teaching, and collaboration space for the study of nanotechnology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and energy. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

Dartmouth College is building the $32 million Visual Arts Center in Hanover, N.H. The 106,000-sf facility was designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston and is being built by Suffolk Construction. The four-story building will provide classrooms, labs, offices, and a theater to support programs in studio arts, film, and television studies. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. Completion is expected in April of 2012. 

The University of Texas at Arlington has attained LEED Gold sustainable design certification for the $126 million Engineering Research Building. Housing the departments of Bioengineering and Computer Science and Engineering, the 234,000-gsf facility provides classrooms, research and teaching labs, a science and engineering library, collaboration space, and faculty offices. The project was designed by Page Southerland Page with RFD (Research Facilities Design) as laboratory design consultant.

McMaster University is planning to begin construction in 2013 on the $60 million Wilson Building for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences in Hamilton, Ontario. The 104,000-sf facility will provide multidisciplinary teaching and research space for a wide variety of programs.

Stanford University is planning to construct the $27.5 million Satellite Research Animal Facility in Palo Alto, Calif. The single-story, prefabricated building is slated for completion in December of 2012. The facility will eventually be replaced by a permanent structure. Additionally, Stanford University is planning to build the $41.2 million, 22,100-sf Research Computing facility. Construction will begin on the two-story project in early 2012 with completion expected in 2013.

Christopher Newport University will break ground in July of 2011 on the $54.6 million Joseph W. Luter III Building in Newport News, Va. The 135,622-sf facility will provide advanced teaching and research labs, faculty offices, and classrooms for seven departments. The project will also house the Luter School of Business.

Trinity College Dublin opened the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in June of 2011. The $189 million multidisciplinary facility houses the Institute of Immunology, the Cancer Drug Discovery Center of Excellence, the Bioengineering Center, and space for the Institute of Neuroscience. Providing academic, research, and commercial office space, the 11-story, 376,740-sf building will support preclinical medical training and research for the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Biochemistry and Immunology, Chemistry, and Engineering.