Higher Education

Buffalo State College broke ground on the  $110 million Science and Mathematics Complex in September of 2009. The two-phase project includes renovation of an existing facility and construction of a 96,000-sf addition housing teaching and research labs, offices, and instrumentation space. The completed facility will also include an atrium, an imaging suite, a planetarium, and greenhouses. The Science and Mathematics Complex will house the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and earth sciences.

Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) officially opened the $8 million Nano Research Facility and Center for Materials Innovation in September of 2009. Part of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, the facility includes four laboratories: a micro and nano-fabrication lab, a surface characterization lab, a particle technology lab, and a bio-imaging lab. The fabrication lab features Class 100, Class 1,000, and Class 10,000 cleanrooms.

Utah State University opened two research facilities in Logan in September of 2009. The 11,000-sf Hydraulics Modeling Laboratory will enable engineers to build large-scale replicas of dams and spillways for channel hydraulics modeling projects. As a re-circulating facility, the laboratory can provide a flow of nearly 50,000 gallons per minute. The 5,000-sf Structural Testing Laboratory will enable researchers to test the load strength of construction materials for the Long-Term Bridge Performance Program, a national study on bridge safety.

Ohio State University Medical Center will begin construction in early 2010 on a 17-story tower in Columbus, Ohio. Housing the academic medical center's new critical care and cancer hospitals, the $1 billion project is slated for completion in mid-2014. The 276-bed Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital will occupy seven floors and and the 144-bed critical care hospital will occupy three floors. The tower will also house laboratory and office space. The project includes completion of three floors in the existing biomedical research tower and electrical upgrades.

Texas A&M University officially opened the $100 million Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building in College Station in September of 2009. Construction began on the 220,000-sf biomedical research facility in 2006. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which houses over 30 laboratories, a 285-seat auditorium, and core facilities including the Microscopy and Imaging Center, the X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory, and the Laboratory for Biological Mass Spectrometry.

The University of North Carolina Asheville dedicated the $24 million Zeis Hall in September of 2009. Housing the departments of biology, chemistry, and multimedia arts, the four-story, 86,000-sf facility provides classrooms and teaching and research laboratories.

The University at Buffalo broke ground in September of 2009 on the 147,000-sf School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Named John Kapoor Hall, the $62 million facility was designed by S/L/A/M Collaborative to provide teaching and research facilities for pharmaceutical science and practice. Located on the South Campus in downtown Buffalo, N.Y., the building will be part of the planned UB Academic Health Center.

The University of Toledo broke ground in September of 2009 on a $25 million facility for the College of Pharmacy in Toledo, Ohio. Sited on the university’s health sciences campus, the 54,000-sf teaching and research building is slated for completion in fall of 2010. The project involves construction of two new floors atop an existing foundation with basement research facilities.

The University of South Alabama broke ground on the $40 million Shelby Hall Engineering and Computing Sciences Building in Mobile in September of 2009. The 155,000-sf facility will house multimedia classrooms, teaching and research labs, and chemical and biochemical laboratory facilities. The general contractor for the project is Elkins Constructors of Jacksonville, Fla. Completion is expected in September of 2011.

Wayne State University broke ground on the $37 million A. Paul Schaap Chemistry Building and Lecture Hall in Detroit in September of 2009. Representing the second phase of a comprehensive $42 million expansion and renovation of the existing Chemistry Building, the project involves the creation of 96,000-sf of open plan laboratory space. Harley Ellis Devereaux provided architectural and engineering services, and DeMaria Building Co. is the general contractor. LEED Silver certification for sustainable design will be sought for the facility.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School broke ground on the $405 million Albert Sherman Center in Worcester in September of 2009. The nine-story, 500,000-sf facility is slated for completion by early 2012. Designed by Architectural Resources Cambridge, the project will house advanced biomedical research laboratories, a 500-seat auditorium, the UMass Gene Therapy Center, and the UMass Center for Stem Cell Biology.

The University of Wisconsin Primate Research Center is planning to expand its Madison facility. A 23,500-sf addition will be constructed to house all animals currently part of the University's behavioral research project. $15 million in federal stimulus funding is being sought to support construction of the facility.

The University of Colorado broke ground in September of 2009 on the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building in Boulder. The construction cost of the 257,000-sf facility is estimated at between $120 million and $145 million. Designed to foster interdisciplinary biomedical research, the Biotechnology Building will house scientists from eight departments. Occupancy is stated for fall of 2011. An additional 54,000-sf wing may be built in a second construction phase.

The University of California, Irvine has been awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification for the expansion of the Anteater Recreation Center. The project consisted of a 26,000-sf addition, bringing the size of the completed building to 115,000-sf. The recreation center uses 70 percent renewable energy and uses 43 percent less water than comparable facilities.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst dedicated the $114.5 million Integrated Sciences Building in September of 2009. The 157,000-sf facility houses 85,000-sf of laboratory and classroom space, a 300-seat auditorium, interaction areas, and advanced imaging suites. The sustainably-designed project promotes interdisciplinary teaching and research by integrating the life, chemical, and physical sciences. Construction of the four-story facility was completed in January of 2009.