Higher Education

The University of Cincinnati is planning a renovation of 8,910 sf in Kettering Laboratory to house environmental health research. Supported by $4.8 million in federal stimulus funding, the project will also include conversion of an existing 4,355 gsf atrium to create interdisciplinary research space. Designed to optimize energy performance and efficiency, the completed facility will house the transdisciplinary Center for Epigenetic Epidemiology.

Ohio State University is planning two research facility renovation projects in Columbus. Both projects are supported by federal stimulus funding and are slated for completion in 2014. An award of $8 million will support the buildout of 24,000 asf in the Biomedical Research Tower to accommodate the Experimental Therapeutics Program of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Colorado State University (CSU) opened the $53 million Research Innovation Center in Fort Collins in May of 2010. Located on CSU’s Foothills campus, the 72,000-sf facility will support accelerated development of vaccines and therapeutics by co-locating researchers and private industry tenants. The two-story building houses biosafety facilities, wet laboratories, offices, conference rooms, and a vivarium for rodents.

Case Western Reserve University is initiating a $2 million laboratory renovation for the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Supporting cancer research, the 3,600-sf project will provide space for four additional investigators and a shared instrumentation core. The renovation is funded by an award from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Completion is expected in May of 2011.

South Dakota State University broke ground on a $9.3 million dairy plant renovation in Brookings in May of 2010. The completed 17,900-sf dairy research and education center will feature advanced filtration, evaporation, and drying equipment for applied research on dairy-based ingredients. Completion is expected in summer of 2011. The project includes renovation of the existing 7,050-sf dairy plant and 10,850 sf of new construction.

Utah State University broke ground on the $35 million Agricultural Sciences Building in Logan in May of 2010. The 120,000-sf facility is being built by Jacobsen Construction and is slated for completion in September of 2011. The project team includes HDR/CUH2A and Salt Lake City-based CRSA.

The University of California San Diego has selected ZGF Architects to program and design the 286,500-sf Clinical and Translational Research Institute. Located on the university’s East Campus, the facility will include both wet and dry research space, core facilities, exam and interview rooms for clinical trials, staff and faculty offices, and other specialty spaces. A minimum of LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

The University of Florida dedicated the $90.5 million Biomedical Sciences Building in Gainesville in May of 2010. Supporting translational research, the eight-story, 163,000-sf multidisciplinary facility houses the Health Science Center Colleges, the Biomedical Engineering Department of the College of Engineering, and Animal Care Services. The project team included HuntonBrady Architects as architect of record, Ellenzweig as design architect, and Whiting-Turner Contracting Company as general contractor.

The University of California San Francisco is renovating an existing building to create the 25,000-sf Telemedicine Facility. Enabling students and faculty around the world to participate in actual classroom and training programs, the facility will feature advanced distance learning technologies. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. 

York University is building the $70 million Life Sciences Building in Toronto, Ontario. The four-story facility will house teaching and research labs, lecture halls, and classrooms for biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and kinesiology. The project team includes NXL Architects and SSG Architecture with Vanbots as construction manager. Completion is expected in spring of 2011.

Queen’s University began construction in May of 2010 on the $6.6 million Lakeridge Health Education And Research Network in Oshawa, Ontario. Located at Lakeridge Health Oshawa Hospital, the facility will house two simulation labs, offices, conference rooms, and an auditorium. Occupancy is expected in March of 2011.

Boise State University will begin construction on the $37 million Micron Business and Economics Building in summer of 2010. Designed by Hummel Architects, the 110,000-sf facility will house advanced classrooms, a 250-seat lecture hall, research space, a financial trading room, and a student commons. The sustainably designed project will utilize geothermal heating and natural lighting and is expected to consume 40 percent less energy than a comparable conventional structure. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2012.

The University of Kansas broke ground on the $25 million BEST building in Overland Park in April of 2010. Located on the Edwards Campus, the facility will support graduate and undergraduate programs in business, engineering, science, and technology. The 75,000-sf building will house classrooms, seminar rooms, lecture halls, offices, computer labs, and a conference center. Completion is expected by November of 2011.

The University of Iowa dedicated the State Hygienic Laboratory on May 5, 2010. The $38 million facility is located in the University of Iowa Research Park in Coralville. The building features an open lab plan to maximize researcher collaboration. The LEED-certified facility supports detection and response for environmental contaminants and infectious diseases.

The University of California San Diego is building the $83.3 million Structural and Materials Engineering Building in La Jolla, Calif. Construction began on 180,000-gsf project in late 2008 with completion expected in 2013. Housing the Departments of Structural Engineering and NanoEngineering, the 110,000-asf facility will include R&D laboratories, offices, and instrumentation space. The four-story project will also include studios for the Department of Visual Arts. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.