Higher Education

Virginia Tech is building the $24 million Institute for Critical Technologies & Applied Science (ICTAS) Phase II in Blacksburg, Va. The three-story, 43,000-gsf facility will house specialized labs for applied and fundamental research in bioengineering, biomaterials,and bio-nanotechnology. The project will accommodate the development of communications and sensor technologies and includes offices and support spaces. Virginia Tech is also constructing the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) Facility Addition.

The University of Michigan will purchase Pfizer’s 174-acre campus in Ann Arbor. Housing 1.97 million gsf in 30 buildings, the site will provide 1.3 million sf of research space and 420,000 sf of office space. The $108 million acquisition will enable the University of Michigan to expand its research operations in biomedical science. Occupancy will begin in late 2009.

The Wistar Institute opened a $1.1 million molecular screening facility on its Philadelphia campus in December of 2008. The facility was created in partnership with the University of the Sciences as the centerpiece of the Center for Chemical Biology and Translational Medicine. Using advanced screening technologies, scientists will be able to identify and characterize new molecules and compounds to create therapeutic drugs.

Griffith University is building a national climate change adaption research facility on its Gold Coast City campus in Queensland, Australia. Slated for completion in 2010, the sustainably-designed project has been awarded $59 million in federal funding. An $18 million water research facility will also be built in partnership with the Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council.

The University of Rhode Island (URI) is building the $60 million Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences in Kingston. The 140,000-sf facility broke ground in March 2007 and is slated for completion in 2009. The architect for the facility is Payette Associates of Boston with Providence-based Gilbane Building Co. as construction manager. The project includes classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, a business incubator, a 300-seat auditorium, and support areas for DNA sequencing.

Over 50 higher education leaders petitioned President-elect Barack Obama to allocate $40 billion for college and university construction projects in December of 2008. The proposal recommends that federal funds be allocated to states on the basis of population and administered by state governors. Eligible projects would need to be ready to break ground within 180 days and schools would contribute 20 percent of the total cost.

The University of Nevada School of Medicine is constructing the Center for Molecular Medicine in Reno. Designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, the 100,000-sf project broke ground in March 2007 and is expected to reach completion in 2009. The facility will accommodate basic science research in microbiology, pharmacology, and physiology. The project will include a vivarium, research laboratories, offices, two meeting rooms, and an auditorium.

Valparaiso University will dedicate the $74 million Harre Union in January of 2009 in Valparaiso, Ind. The facility is nearly four times the size of the University’s existing student union and is the largest construction project in the institution’s history. Housing the University Book Center, the Career Center, and the Office of Multicultural Programs, the project includes the main student dining room, ballroom, café, lounges, and offices for student organizations. Construction of Harre Union began in fall of 2006.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s new campus in Cloverdale, BC, Canada, attained LEED Gold sustainable design certification in December of 2008. Designed by Bunting Coady Architects of Vancouver, the 185,139-sf facility houses 27 workshops and 21 classrooms for applied training programs and instruction in trades and technology. The $42.3 million project features a spacious atrium and was built by Ledcor.

Kettering University will begin construction in 2009 on the LEED-certified Science and Technology Incubator in Flint, Mich. Designed by SHW Group, the 9,000-sf research and office facility is slated for completion by year-end 2009. The project includes a business center, a technology-rich conference room, café, and reception. Wet and dry research laboratories, each with a footprint 700 sf, can be easily reconfigured or expanded.

DePaul University will open the $40 million Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan Science Building in January of 2009. Located on the University’s Lincoln Park campus in Chicago, the four-story, 129,000-sf facility features 23 research labs, eight teaching labs, five tiered classrooms, and rooftop greenhouses. The sustainably-designed building houses the department of chemistry as well as classes in biology and environmental science.

The University of Queensland is relocating the School of Veterinary Science from Brisbane to Gatton, Australia. Housing teaching and research facilities, the $100 million project is slated for completion in late 2009. The $33 million Centre for Advanced Animal Science, funded by the Queensland Government, is also under construction in Gatton.

Yale University’s new BSL-3 laboratory will open in early 2009. Located on the ninth floor of the School of Public Health building in New Haven, Conn., the facility will support animal and non-animal research on infectious diseases including West Nile Virus, SARS, Yellow Fever, and anthrax. The laboratory features a single-pass airflow system, waterproof ceilings, and completely sealed penetrations.

Colorado State University began building the $53 million Research Innovation Center on its Foothills campus in Fort Collins in December of 2008. Slated for completion in April of 2010, the three-story, 72,000-sf center will be sited in the Judson Harper Research Complex and will house offices, laboratories, and a biotechnology business incubator.

The University of Kentucky began construction on an $18.6 million research facility for the College of Engineering in downtown Lexington in September of 2008. Part of the University’s Digital Village quadrangle, the Marksbury Building will support research in computer visualization, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering. Completion is slated for early 2011.