Higher Education

Construction of college and university facilities in the United Kingdom is continuing unchecked in a move to gain the leading edge in the global technology and education market. Newcastle University is planning £200 million in construction over the next three years, and Suffolk New College is building the new £69 million Ipswich campus. Napier University has initiated a £100 million capital plan that includes construction of a health, life, and social sciences campus in Edinburgh.

The University of Ulster will invest £250 million to expand and renovate its four campuses in Northern Ireland. The project includes construction of a new landmark facility in Belfast, expansion of academic facilities in Derry, and development of a premier sports campus in Jordanstown.

Western University of Health Sciences is constructing the 180,000-sf Health Education Center in Pomona, Calif. Slated for completion in January of 2010, the four-story building will include two 350-seat auditoriums, six 125-seat classrooms, 50 meeting rooms, and research facilities. The facility will house the College of Osteopathic Medicine and degree programs in dentistry, podiatry, and optometry. The construction manager for the project is DPR Construction. 

Pennsylvania State University is planning to construct a BSL-3 laboratory on its University Park campus. The 15,000-sf facility will support biodefense, agricultural, and zoonotic research, enabling the university to compete for federal funding supporting select agent and infectious disease research. Penn State operates an existing BSL-2 research laboratory.

The University of Minnesota-Duluth is constructing the $15 million Civil Engineering Building in Duluth, Minn. Construction began in July of 2008 with occupancy expected in fall of 2010. The 34,000-gsf facility will house teaching and research laboratories, classrooms, and administrative offices. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

The University of Rhode Island opened the $60 million Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences (CBLS) in Kingston in January of 2009. The 140,000-sf facility broke ground in March 2007 and includes classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, faculty offices, a business incubator, a 300-seat auditorium, and support areas for DNA sequencing. The CBLS features a four-story atrium that connects a research wing and a teaching wing. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

Texas Tech completed a $10 million renovation of the College of Engineering Livermore Auditorium in Lubbock, Texas, in January of 2009. Located in the Chemical Engineering building, the facility houses new research laboratories, offices, and two classrooms accommodating 100 and 155 students. Construction began on the project in June of 2007.

Tufts University is constructing a 95,000-sf addition to the School of Dental Medicine in Boston. Designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge and built by Shawmut Design and Construction, the five-story vertical expansion is sited on top of Tufts’ existing 10-story facility. Occupancy is expected by year-end 2009. The $64 million project features two new clinical floors, an expanded simulation lab, instructional facilities, a conference center, and administrative offices.

Ivy Tech Community College opened the Indiana Center for the Life Sciences in Bloomington in January of 2009. Created in partnership with the Monroe County government, the facility houses classrooms and training facilities for life sciences education. The 20,000-sf center was designed in collaboration with the Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership and accommodates classes in biotechnology, biology, chemistry, microbiology, biomedical technology, and advanced manufacturing. The facility houses four labs, three classrooms, and a manufacturing suite.

North Carolina State University is planning to build the $126 million James B. Hunt Jr. Library in Raleigh. Located on NCSU’s Centennial Campus, the facility will house the Institute for Emerging Issues, collections on engineering, textiles, and science, and space for collaborative research projects. The facility is being designed by the Norwegian firm Snohetta. Completion is expected in 2012.

California State University, Fullerton has awarded the team of Steinberg Architects and PCL Construction Services a $118 million design-build contract to construct a five-story student housing complex. Designed to attain LEED Gold certification, the project will provide 1,080 beds and a dining facility.

Oklahoma State University (OSU) opened the $15 million North Classroom Building in Stillwater in January of 2009. The technology-rich instructional facility includes 14 classrooms, two 125-seat auditoriums, faculty offices, a study center, and a café.  Sustainable design features of the three-story, 50,000-sf project include energy efficient HVAC systems, lighting, and windows. North Oklahoma College partnered with OSU to create the facility and will also utilize the building.

The University of Massachusetts, Lowell is planning to construct the $100 million Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center (ETIC). Designed by CUH2A, the 100,000-sf project will house academic instruction, bio- and nano-manufacturing space, R&D laboratories, and a business incubator. LEED Silver certification for sustainable design will be sought for the facility.

Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center broke ground in January of 2009 on the $18.2 million Clinical Research Building in Baton Rouge, La. The 90,000-sf, four-story facility will support translational research for disease treatment and prevention. The project contractor is Milton J. Womack of Baton Rouge. Completion is expected in July of 2010.

The University of Adelaide is building a $103 million engineering facility on its North Terrace Campus in Adelaide, South Australia. The nine-story building is expected to reach completion in 2010. The project contractor is Hindmarsh Construction. The sustainably-designed facility will feature advanced building performance monitoring equipment. Additionally, the University will begin construction in July of 2009 on the $31 million Centre of Photonics to support optical fibre and lasers research. Completion is expected in three years.