Higher Education

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.

University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast will begin construction in spring of 2011 on a $7.6 million science building in Long Beach, Miss. The 33,580-sf facility will house biology and chemistry labs, classrooms, faculty offices, research space, and a marine science lab.

Princeton University opened the 265,000-sf Frick Chemistry Laboratory in September of 2010 in Princeton, N.J. The sustainably designed facility features self-closing fume hoods, photovoltaic panels, heat recovery, and advanced HVAC systems. The $278 million project was designed by Hopkins Architects in association with Payette. The general contractor was Turner Construction. Site work began on the project in summer of 2007.

St. Louis Community College opened its 29,700-sf Harrison Education Center in September of 2010. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which features abundant natural light, low VOC interior finishes, an energy efficient HVAC system, and low flow water fixtures. KAI Design & Build provided architectural, MEP engineering, interior design, and cost estimating services on the $7.5 million project.

The University of Wyoming broke ground on the 79,000-sf Visual Arts Center in Laramie, Wyo., in September of 2010. Housing teaching studios, administrative offices, a gallery, and a lecture hall, the $33 million facility will be built to achieve LEED sustainable design certification. The center will feature evaporative cooling, heat recovery, and an evacuated tube solar hot water system. Completion is expected in October of 2011.