The University of Kansas will break ground in summer of 2009 on a 20,000-sf bioscience incubator in Lawrence. Supported by $8 million from the Lawrence-Douglas County Bioscience Authority, the business incubator will house wet laboratories for life sciences research. Occupancy is expected in 2010.
Construction on the Centennial Hills Library in Las Vegas reached completion in April of 2009. In addition to a 32,431-sf library, the 45,555-sf Centennial Hills facility houses an advanced book and media management system. Additional space has been built out for future expansion of the library to meet the needs of the growing community. LEED Silver certification will be sought for the project, which was designed by JMA Architecture Studios with URS Corporation as construction manager.
The University of Chicago dedicated the renovated Searle Chemistry Laboratory on April 20, 2009. The $49 million project will support cross-disciplinary collaborative research with advanced laboratories and instrumentation. The Chemistry Department, the Computation Institute, and the Tri-Institutional Center for Chemical Methods and Library Development will be housed in the 85,000-gsf facility. The five-story building will include suites for NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry as well as cleanroom facilities.
The University of the Pacific broke ground on the $12 million John T. Chambers Technology Center in April of 2009. Located in Stockton, Calif., the 24,000-sf facility will house the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The building will include seven research and teaching laboratories, faculty offices, classrooms, conference rooms, and study areas. LEED certification for sustainable design will be sought for the project.
The University of Washington broke ground on the $36.9 million Center for Urban Waters in Tacoma, Wash., in April of 2009. The three-story multidisciplinary research facility will house water and environmental science laboratories for the University and the city of Tacoma. LEED Platinum certification will be sought for the 51,205-sf waterfront facility. The Center for Urban Waters is being developed in collaboration with Puget Sound Partnership.
Osaka University will begin construction in March of 2010 on a nanotechnology business incubator in Osaka, Japan. The construction cost of the five-story building is estimated at over one billion yen. Housing nanotechnology laboratories, the facility will provide access to equipment and instrumentation as well as promoting collaboration with University researchers and engineers. The nanotechnology incubator will house up to 24 companies.
The University of Minnesota is the first university in the nation to use Build America Bonds to fund capital projects. Build America Bonds were authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, enabling state and local governments to issue taxable bonds for projects eligible for tax-exempt financing and to receive a new direct federal subsidy payment for a portion of their borrowing costs.
Montana State University is planning to construct three new facilities to house the Northern Agricultural Research Center in Havre, Mont. The $1.8 million project will begin construction in summer of 2009 with the first facility slated for completion in early 2010. The completed Northern Agricultural Research Center will house offices, laboratories, meeting rooms, a livestock research facility, a calving barn, and a chemical handling facility.
Monash University opened its $153 million regenerative medicine research facility in Clayton, Australia, in April of 2009. Construction began on the 17,200-sm project in January of 2007. The sustainably-designed facility is comprised of two four-story buildings connected by a core structure and is part of a growing biomedical research campus.
Yale University completed the $33.5 million Kroon Hall in New Haven, Conn., in April of 2009. Designed to use 50 percent less energy than a comparable building, the facility will house the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The 56,467-sf building was designed by Hopkins Architects in partnership with Centerbrook Architects and Planners. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.
Mesa Community College is constructing the $13.5 million Saguaro Building on its Red Mountain campus in northeast Mesa, Ariz. Slated for completion in fall of 2009, the 42,000-sf facility will feature vivarium and terrarium space for indigenous animal and plant species. The Saguaro Building will house life science laboratories, ten classrooms, study areas, a theater, a bat nesting area, and a snake pit. LEED certification for sustainable design will be sought for the project. The facility was designed by SmithGroup.
Oklahoma State University will officially break ground on the Institute for Agricultural Biosciences on May 1, 2009. Located in Ardmore, the facility will support research on agricultural energy sources in collaboration with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. The building will house administrative space, traditional and controlled environmental laboratories, greenhouses, and conference rooms for the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. LEED certification for sustainable design will be sought for the project.
Central Texas College will initiate construction in May of 2009 on a $23 million nursing education building in Killeen. Slated for occupancy in spring of 2011, the two-story, 85,000-sf facility will be shared with Tarleton State University-Central Texas and Metroplex Hospital. The building will provide 19 classrooms, 69 faculty offices, and eight medical simulation labs.
Brandeis University celebrated the opening of the $154 million Carl J. Shapiro Science Center in Waltham, Mass., in April of 2009. Designed by Payette of Boston, the 175,000-sf project broke ground in spring of 2006. The facility features interdisciplinary research labs, a science commons, classrooms, seminar rooms, conference rooms, and a café. The Shapiro Science Center will officially be dedicated in fall of 2009 and represents the first phase of the Science Complex Renewal Project.
The University of Washington is building the 135,000-sf Paccar Hall in Seattle. Designed by LMN Architects, the five-story facility will house tiered classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, faculty offices, an atrium, and student interaction space for the Michael G. Foster School of Business. Completion is slated for 2010. A second business school building will be constructed adjacent to Paccar Hall.
