Higher Education

The University of York opened the £5 million Centre for Immunology and Infection (CII) in the United Kingdom in September of 2010. The three-story, 1,350-sm facility houses biocontainment suites for the study of high risk pathogens and space for clinical trials. The translational research facility was created in partnership by Hull York Medical School and the Department of Biology at the University of York. The general contractor for the project was GB Building Solutions. Construction began on the facility in July of 2009.

The College of St. Scholastica will break ground in April of 2011 on a $15.5 million expansion of its science center Duluth, Minn. Designed by AECOM Ellerbe Becket, the project involves construction of a 40,000-sf addition housing classrooms and labs. The general contractor for the facility is McGough Construction of St. Paul. Completion is expected in fall of 2012.

Michigan State University dedicated the $90 million Secchia Center in Grand Rapids in September of 2010. Housing the College of Human Medicine, the seven-story, 180,000-sf facility provides teaching labs, classrooms, simulation suites, clinical exam rooms, offices, and student areas. Construction began on the facility in April of 2008. The Secchia Center was created in partnership with Spectrum Health, Van Andel Institute, Saint Mary’s Health Care, and Grand Valley State University. The project team included construction manager The Christman Co.

San Diego Mesa College’s Allied Health Education and Training Facility was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in September of 2010. The three-story, 50,000-sf facility was designed by Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker with McCarthy Building Companies as construction manager. The $23 million project features efficient building systems, abundant daylighting, and a highly insulated building envelope.

Wheaton College is building the $42 million Mars Science and Technology Center in Norton, Mass. The 99,000-sf project includes renovation of the first floor of the existing science center and construction of a three-story, 77,800-sf building. Designed by Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, the facility will provide teaching and research labs and will house the departments of biology, chemistry, math, computer sciences, physics, and astronomy. The general contractor for the project is BOND Construction.

South Dakota State University dedicated the $51 million Avera Health and Science Center in September of 2010. The 144,000-sf facility is located in Brookings, S.D., and was created in partnership with Avera Health. Comprising 96,000 sf of new construction and 48,000 sf of renovated space, the building provides classrooms, teaching and research labs, and faculty offices for the College of Pharmacy and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Construction began on the project in June of 2008.

The University of Guelph will open the $70 million Pathobiology and Animal Health Laboratory in October of 2010. The four-story building houses research, teaching, and animal care facilities for the Ontario Veterinary College. The project was designed by Young + Wright / IBI Group Architects and built by Bird Construction Co. The facility includes a 120-seat lecture hall, a teaching lab, seminar rooms, research laboratories, and offices.

The University of California Davis is planning to construct the 19,124-sf Respiratory Diseases Center. Supported by $14.2 million in federal stimulus funding, the facility will house research laboratories, offices, animal holding, an inhalation exposure facility, and a pulmonary function testing lab.

The University of Pittsburgh will renovate 44,525 sf in the Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower to house the Vascular Medicine Institute and the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine. The project is supported by $14 million in federal stimulus funding. The renovation will create modern, open laboratory space with associated support and chemical fume hood alcoves.

Marquette University dedicated the $85 million Eckstein Hall in September of 2010. The four-story facility includes a technology-rich library, a broadcast facility, faculty offices, and lecture halls for Marquette's school of law. Ground was broken on the project in 2008.

The University of Illinois at Chicago will renovate 23,000 sf of existing space to create an interdisciplinary oral health research facility. The project is supported by $9.9 million in federal stimulus funding and includes 9,000 sf of new research space. The facility will house a vivarium for animal research, core facilities, and laboratories for clinical and translational research. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Texas State University opened the $36 million St. David School of Nursing in September of 2010. Located in Round Rock, the three-story facility includes nine simulation labs and a total of 76 mannequins.

The University of Texas at El Paso is building three new facilities on its El Paso campus. A $69.2 million, 140,000-sf expansion of the Chemistry and Computer Science building will house the Biomedical Engineering and Bioinformatics Annex, the Research and Academic Data Center, the W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation expansion, and the Center for Space Exploration Technology Research Propulsion Lab.

The University of Connecticut completed the 117,000-sf Cell and Genome Sciences Building in Farmington in August of 2010. The renovated building supports research in stem cell biology, genetics, computational biology, and advanced microscopy and imaging. The $52 million project features open laboratories to support collaborative interdisciplinary research as well as offices, a 100-seat auditorium, and business incubator space. The project was designed by Goody Clancy. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology opened the 33,000-sf Paleontology Research Laboratory in September of 2010. The $7 million facility was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification and features recycled materials, rainwater harvesting, and energy efficient lighting. The building consolidates the paleontology department’s offices from three separate locations and includes a mobile-shelving storage system for fossils and minerals.