Higher Education

The University of Central Lancashire completed construction of its $20 million forensic science facility in Preston, U.K., in May of 2011. The 43,056-sf James Brierly Firth Building houses the School of Forensic and Investigative Sciences and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The facility houses four labs, two chemistry classrooms, an analytical lab, and a fire lab. The project has attained a BREEAM Excellent sustainable design rating. The general contractor for the project was Morgan Sindall.

Georgia Southern University began construction in June of 2011 on the $37 million Biology Building in Statesboro. The 155,000-gsf facility will feature a 125-seat lecture hall and two Technology Enhanced Active Learning rooms providing combined lecture and laboratory space. The Biology Building will also provide 10 teaching labs, 15 research labs, and faculty offices  LEED Silver sustainable design will be sought for the project. Occupancy is expected in summer of 2013.

Tarleton State University opened the $11.2 million Southwest Regional Dairy Center in May of 2011. The teaching and research facility is located in Stephenville, Texas, and houses 300 cows. The center will promote collaborative industry partnerships for the development of sustainable dairy practices. A planned second phase will include a bottling facility and a creamery.

The University of Leicester is planning to build the $50 million Medical Teaching Building on land purchased from Regent College in Leicester. The facility will provide advanced instructional space for the College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology. The sustainably designed project will feature natural light and ventilation, external solar shades, photovoltaic solar panels, a combined heat and power (CHP) system, and a free-cooling labyrinth for air conditioning.

The University of California, Davis broke ground on the $58.5 million Veterinary Medicine Research Facility 3B on April 29, 2011. The four-story, 76,000-sf facility will support interdisciplinary research on human, animal, and environmental health issues. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. Completion is expected in December of 2012.

The University of Pennsylvania opened the $370 million Anne and Jerome Fisher Translational Research Center in May of 2011 in Philadelphia. The 531,000-sf biomedical research facility is designed for maximum integration with the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine and the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. The Translational Research Center houses the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism; the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics; and the Penn Cardiovascular Institute.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center will begin construction in mid-2011 on a $45 million cardiovascular research building in Memphis. The project cost includes $35 million for construction and $10 million for laboratory and office equipment. Occupancy is expected in late 2013. The 140,000-sf facility will be connected by a walkway to an existing cancer research building. The entire complex will be called the Translational Science Research Building and will support interdisciplinary biomedical research and collaboration.

The University of Minnesota opened the $175 million Amplatz Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis in April of 2011. The 227,000-sf facility provides 96 private patient rooms, an intensive care unit, and a pediatric emergency department. The hospital was designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates and features abundant natural light to create an optimal healing environment. 

South Carolina State University opened the $17.5 million Leroy Davis Sr. Science and Research Complex in April of 2011. The 57,000-sf facility includes advanced laboratories and classrooms, two auditoriums, an office tower, research space, and five conference rooms. The three-story complex houses the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences. 

Kansas State University opened the 108,000-sf International Animal Health and Food Safety Institute on April 26, 2011. Located on the Innovation campus in Olathe, the $28 million facility houses labs, classrooms, a conference center, a kitchen complex, a student lounge, and a power plant. The Institute will support research, educational, and commercial programs.

Deakin University began building the $50 million Regional Community Health Hub (REACH) at its Geelong Waurn Ponds campus in spring of 2011. The 73,195-sf facility will support health science instruction in optometry, pharmacy, and exercise and sports science. Connected to the adjacent Deakin Medical School, the three-story building will include labs, offices, tutorial and problem-based learning rooms, a simulation center, and a 200-seat lecture hall. Completion is expected in 2012.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center has selected Payette to design a two-story addition, including a partial lower level, to house an inter-operative suite with an overhead MRI and CT imaging system. The suite will be used for clinical cases that have some research component, with research collaborations primarily between Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Dartmouth Medical School, and Thayer School of Engineering. A third floor will be expanded and renovated to include two additional MRI areas and an adjacent imaging suite.

The University of Kansas is building the $18.8 million Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center (M2SEC) in Lawrence. The 36,690-sf facility will provide the School of Engineering with laboratories for the study of biofuels, sustainable construction technologies, and materials science. Low-vibration laboratories constructed on an isolated slab will support research on unmanned aircraft, engines, and wireless communication.

Dalhousie University will begin construction in spring of 2011 on the $30 million Oceans Excellence Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The 68,000-sf facility will be built as an addition to the Life Sciences Centre and will house offices, research space, and portable laboratories constructed from shipping containers, enabling investigators to use the same labs while out at sea. The building will also provide research space for the Aquatron and the Ocean Tracking Network. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

The University of Massachusetts broke ground on the 69,000-sf Health and Social Sciences Building in Lowell in April of 2011. Housing the departments of psychology, nursing, and criminal justice, the facility will provide classrooms, labs, faculty offices, conference rooms, simulation suites for healthcare training, and social science research space. The sustainably designed project will feature natural lighting and ventilation and efficient building systems.