Higher Education

Centennial College broke ground in November of 2009 on the $46 million Library and Academic Building in Toronto. Designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects, the four-story, 104,000-sf facility will provide a new entrance to the Progress Campus. Housing a 200-seat lecture auditorium, a library, café, a two-story atrium, classrooms, study labs, and common rooms, the building will also provide space for administrative offices and meeting rooms.

Michigan State University broke ground on the $1.8 million Center for Renewable Energy Research and Technology Transfer in East Lansing in November of 2009. Providing over 6,000-sf of research space, the building will house the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute and an emissions laboratory. Completion is expected in mid-2010.

Site work has begun on Weill Cornell Medical College's $650 million Medical Research Building in New York. The 480,000-sf facility will feature a Cancer Center supporting interdisciplinary and translational research. Laboratories will occupy 13 floors of the building. Completion is expected in July of 2013.

Miami University dedicated the $65 million Farmer School of Business in November of 2009. Providing facilities for advanced management education, the building will promote collaborative learning enhanced by leading-edge technology. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York City and Moody Nolan of Columbus, Ohio, the Farmer School of Business includes the 1,800-sf Chaifetz Trading Center, two behavior labs, a trial practice room, classrooms, and faculty offices.

Indiana University dedicated the $10 million IU Innovation Center in Bloomington in November of 2009. Providing laboratories and offices for bioscience and information technology companies, the two-story, 40,000-sf business incubator includes wet lab space. Construction began on the Innovation Center in November of 2008 and reached completion in August of 2009. LEED certification for sustainable design will be sought for the facility.

Kansas State University broke ground on the $28 million National Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety in Olathe in November of 2009. The 108,000-sf building will house classrooms, laboratories, and space for industry partners. Completion is expected in early 2011. The building is the first to be constructed on the new Olathe campus, which is part of the Kansas Bioscience Research Park.

Algoma University broke ground in November of 2009 on the $16 million Biosciences and Technology Convergence Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The 41,600-sf facility will house classrooms, labs, offices, a lecture hall, a business incubator, and space for industry partners. The building was designed by David Ellis with Mike Moore & Sons Construction performing site and foundation work. The four-story facility is slated for completion in March of 2011.

Penn State Hershey Medical Center broke ground in November of 2009 on the $206 million Children’s Hospital in Hershey, Pa. Construction will begin on the 252,000-sf facility in February of 2010 with completion slated for fall of 2012. Designed by Payette of Boston, the five-story, 118-bed facility will house surgical suites, outpatient clinics, radiology, and private patient rooms.

Louisiana State University is planning to construct the $60 million Business Education Complex in Baton Rouge. The 156,000-sf project will be comprised of four buildings. A 56,000-sf facility will house administration, academic affairs, and interaction space. A second building, the two-story Undergraduate Pavilion, will provide classrooms, labs, and faculty offices. The third building, the Graduate Pavilion, will house team rooms, study space, and faculty offices. The fourth facility is a two-story, 12,600-sf auditorium that can accommodate up to 300 people.

Whitworth University broke ground on a $32 million biology and chemistry building in Spokane, Wash., in November of 2009. Slated for completion in fall of 2011, the three-story, 63,000-sf facility will house laboratories, animal research facilities, instrumentation, and flexible classrooms. The building will incorporate sustainable design features such as natural lighting, geothermal heating, and an energy-efficient HVAC system.

Queen’s University broke ground in fall of 2009 on a $77 million facility for the School of Medicine. The four-story, 100,000-sf project was designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects in joint venture with J.V. Shoalts and Zaback Architects with M. Sullivan & Son of Kingston as general contractor. The building will feature a clinical teaching center, three large interactive classrooms, a 3,600-sf surgical skills lab, an information commons, and 30 small group rooms.

The University of Hawaii has initiated the design phase for the $120 million Cancer Research Center of Hawaii in Kakaako. Construction is expected to begin in summer of 2010. The project manager is Kobayashi Group with Skyline Construction as designer and developer. Wilson Okamoto and Associates will provide project planning services. The facility is expected to open in 2013.

Northwestern University dedicated the $100 million Richard and Barbara Silverman Hall for Molecular Therapeutics and Diagnostics in Evanston, Ill., in November of 2009. The 147,000-gsf interdisciplinary research facility houses the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and approximately 245 researchers and staff from the physical sciences, life sciences, and engineering. Comprised of four stories above ground and one below, Silverman Hall will support collaborative biomedical research and the creation of new medicines and technologies.

Louisiana State University Academic Medical Center has selected Jacobs Engineering Group to provide program management services for its planned $754 million replacement facility in New Orleans. The 1.6 million-sf project will include a 424-bed hospital, an ambulatory care facility, a central plant, and a 1,350-space parking structure.

Algonquin College broke ground in October of 2009 on the $77 million Centre for Construction Excellence in Ottawa. Designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects in collaboration with Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates, the 180,000-sf facility will house classrooms, studios, laboratories, and shops. The LEED Platinum certified facility will function as a teaching laboratory for sustainable construction. Completion is slated for fall of 2011.