Higher Education

The University of Maine is engaged in a $22.4 million expansion of the AEWC Advanced Structures and Composites Center in Orono. The 35,000-sf facility includes a 2,500-sf nanocomposites laboratory, offices, classrooms, and the Offshore Wind Laboratory. The wind lab features a reaction wall and floor for structural testing of wind turbine blades as well as an environmental simulation area and a wave-wind basin. A robotic composite manufacturing suite will produce turbine blades on site.

The University of Rochester Medical Center opened the $76.4 million Saunders Research Building in April of 2011 in Rochester, N.Y. The 200,000-sf interdisciplinary facility houses labs, offices, classrooms, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Ground was broken on the project in October of 2008. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

The University of Michigan broke ground on the $46 million Center of Excellence in Nanomechanical Science and Engineering in Ann Arbor in April of 2011. The 62,800-sf facility will support interdisciplinary research in nanoengineering, imaging and optics, materials, biosystems, micro-bioengineering, mechanics and mechanical testing, and microdynamics. The three-story center will house 60 lab modules, eight specialized chambers, faculty offices, and a subterranean lab built to minimize vibration. Completion is expected in mid-2013.

Columbia University broke ground on its Manhattanville Campus in New York in March of 2011. The 17-acre site in West Harlem will house several new buildings including the Jerome L. Greene Science Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior which is slated for completion in 2015. Columbia’s Manhattanville campus will meet LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) standards. The project team for the LEED-ND program includes Renzo Piano Building Workshop and architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Construction will begin in late 2011 on the $255 million Epworth Deakin Teaching Hospital in Waurn Ponds, Victoria. The 256-bed facility represents a partnership of Epworth Healthcare and Deakin University. The first phase of construction is slated for occupancy by 2013 and will provide 160 beds and an emergency department.

Indiana University broke ground on the $44 million Jacobs School of Music Faculty Studio Building in Bloomington in April of 2011. Designed by Flad Architects with Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf as architect of record, the 85,000-sf (99,500-gsf) expansion will provide 84 teaching studios, 15 classrooms, practice rooms, administrative offices, and rehearsal rooms.

Ryerson University will begin building the $112 million Student Learning Centre in Toronto in January of 2012. Designed by Snøhetta Architects and the Zeidler Partnership, the seven-story transparent glass structure will provide open environments for group learning. Connecting to Ryerson’s adjacent library, the building will include ground-level retail and 2,000 study spaces. Completion is expected in 2015.

The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine will begin construction in spring of 2011 on a $21 million expansion of the Equine and Farm Animal Hospitals. The project is located at the existing Veterinary Medical Center in Knoxville. Completion is expected in December of 2012.

The University of Adelaide is planning to build a $97 million facility to house the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing. Designed by Hames Sharley of Adelaide, the six-story building will provide research labs, instructional space, and a 400-seat lecture hall.

The University of Queensland will build the $107 million Advanced Engineering Building in Brisbane. Located on the St. Lucia campus, the seven-story, 236,808-sf facility will be built to attain a Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. The building will house instructional space, testing labs, design studios, administrative offices, and an auditorium. The general contractor for the project is Watpac Construction.

The University of Leicester will break ground in spring of 2011 on the $20.5 million Cardiovascular Research Centre (CRC). The four-story, 23,680-sf facility will be built as an addition to the clinical sciences wing of Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, U.K. The project team includes architectural firm ADP of Birmingham and general contractor Morgan Sindall. The CRC will house research laboratories, academic space, and a sample bank. Completion is expected in February of 2012.

Stanford University is building the Stanford Center at Peking University. The $5 million project will act as a headquarters for Stanford faculty and students doing research in China. Construction began on the facility in summer of 2010 with occupancy expected in early 2012. Housing classrooms, offices, and conference rooms, the two-story building will promote collaborative research with Chinese industry partners.

Yale University will construct a liberal arts college at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The project is sited on 10.5 acres and will be jointly operated with NUS. Three residential colleges will house 330 students each. Completion is expected by fall of 2013.

Queen’s University will open its $77 million medical school in September of 2011 in Kingston, Ontario. The building features a three-story glass atrium providing abundant natural light. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the advanced teaching and learning facility. The building will house integrated science labs, simulation suites, lecture halls, classrooms, small group learning areas, and administrative offices.

Saint Martin's University will begin construction in summer of 2011 on a $7 million engineering building in Lacey, Wash. Designed by McGranahan Architects of Tacoma, the 21,000-sf facility will act as a teaching tool as well as providing classrooms and labs. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification will be sought for the building, which will include a geothermal heating system and a rooftop photovoltaic array. Completion is expected in fall of 2012.