Higher Education

Strathclyde University is constructing the £35 million Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences in Glasgow. Designed by Sheppard Robson, the 8,000-sm multidisciplinary facility will support drug discovery and pharmaceutical R&D as well as housing the departments of physiology, bioscience, immunology, pharmaceutical sciences, and pharmacology. The six-story project will include a 160-seat teaching lab, research labs, interactive write-up spaces, and a pharmaceutical cleanroom.

Jacksonville University broke ground on the $11 million Marine Sciences Research Institute in late February of 2009 in Jacksonville, Fla. The 30,000-sf riverfront facility will support research on water quality, dredging, and marine mammal preservation with laboratories, a classroom, and a teaching pontoon. Completion is slated for late 2010. The architect for the two-story building is Rink Design. The LEED certified project will feature solar panels and a rainwater drainage system.

The University of California, Berkeley dedicated the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) headquarters on February 27, 2009. Located in the seven-story, 141,000-gsf Sutardja Dai Hall, the facility features the Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory which contains two 15,000-sf cleanrooms. The multidisciplinary building houses research laboratories, offices, distance learning classrooms, conference rooms, and a 149-seat auditorium.

The University of Virginia Medical Center is constructing a six-story intensive care center on its Charlottesville campus. The facility will include critical care units and surgical suites with integrated MRI technology. Built as an addition to the main hospital, the project is part of a $500 million capital plan that includes the construction of a clinical cancer center, a long term acute care hospital, and a children’s medical unit.

The University of Central Oklahoma is building the $8.5 million Center for Transformative Learning in Edmond. Designed by Frankfurt Short Bruza Associates, the 33,000-sf facility will house progressive instruction in 11 classrooms, an outdoor classroom, and informal learning spaces. The facility will promote interactive and collaborative learning instead of lecture based pedagogy. Completion is slated for May of 2010.

Arizona State University is building a second nursing education building in Phoenix. The $223 million project will provide a 200-seat auditorium, research facilities, and five classrooms. The building is created in partnership with the City of Phoenix, enabling city business to occupy the top two floors of the five-story building. Construction began on the project in April of 2008. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

Rutgers University is initiating a $500 million construction program that will create new facilities in Newark, New Brunswick, and Piscataway in New Jersey. Supporting more than 20 building projects, the plan includes construction of the $25 million Institute for Health Sciences in New Brunswick, the $55 million Center for Integrative Proteomics Technologies in Piscataway, and a $5.4 million research laboratory addition to the Life Sciences Center in Newark.

Gold Coast University Hospital broke ground in February of 2009 on its $1.55 billion healthcare facility Molendinar, Queensland, Australia. The 10-story teaching and research hospital will be comprised of two towers providing 750 beds. The sustainably designed facility is being built by Bovis Lend Lease and is slated for completion by December of 2012.

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences broke ground on the $38.7 million Forensic Sciences and Biomedical Research Facility in Tulsa in February of 2009. Created in partnership with the City of Tulsa, the five-story, 160,000-sf building will house laboratories for biomedical research and forensic analysis. Occupancy is slated for fall of 2010.

The University of California, Davis is planning to construct the Research and Teaching Winery and August A. Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory in Davis, Calif. Part of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, the 34,000-sf facility is slated for completion in 2010. The Brewing and Food Science Laboratory will include a food processing pilot plant, a dairy processing suite, and a pilot brewery for the Department of Food Science and Technology.

Albany State University is planning to build the 90,000-sf Ray Charles Fine Arts Building in Albany, Ga. The $26 million building will include a 600-seat auditorium, a 200-seat recital hall, television and radio studios, theaters, art studios, galleries, lecture halls, labs, and classrooms. Designed by Sasaki Associates of Boston, the Ray Charles Fine Arts Building will support the departments of music, art, theater, speech, and mass communications. Completion is expected in 2012.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology dedicated its $73 million Academic Center in February of 2009. The 371,000-sf, 16-story facility will support STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education with 24 technology-rich classrooms, teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, a multi-media production facility, and a 125-seat auditorium. The project was designed by Burt Hill and includes video conferencing and distance learning capabilities.

Presbyterian College will begin renovating a 50,000-sf facility in Clinton, S.C., in April of 2009 to house its School of Pharmacy. The completed Frampton Hall will house two auditoriums, five classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, faculty and administrative offices, a clinic, and a simulation area. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2010.

Gallaudet University celebrated the opening of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory in Washington, D.C., in February of 2009. The building will provide research space for the departments of biology and chemistry and is specifically designed for deaf researchers. The open-plan lab houses environmental chambers, ultralow freezers, fume and sterile hoods, DNA gel equipment, and PCR thermocyclers for research in genetics, environmental science, and cancer. Construction began on the project in January of 2008 and reached completion in August of 2008.

Swansea University is planning to construct the £21.6 million Centre for NanoHealth on its Singleton campus in Swansea in the United Kingdom. Supported by £10 million in funding from the Convergence European Regional Development Fund, the integrated facility will enable researchers, clinicians, engineers, and industry partners to develop nanoscale technologies for the creation of advanced biomedical therapies. The Centre for NanoHealth will house interdisciplinary research on regenerative medicine such as tissue engineering utilizing adult stem cells.