Higher Education

The College of William and Mary opened the 111,000-sf Integrated Science Center in Williamsburg, Va., in September of 2008. The facility was completed in two years and houses the department of chemistry as well as space for the departments of biology and psychology. The project, which includes teaching labs, a vivarium, and molecular biology labs, represents the first phase of a multidisciplinary science complex that will connect to the existing 45,000-sf Rogers Hall, which will also be renovated.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) opened its new sustainably-designed residence hall in Worcester, Mass., on August 25, 2008. Designed by Cannon Design of Boston and constructed by Gilbane Building Company, the apartment-style residence includes technology suites, fitness facilities, and wireless access. LEED Gold certification will be sought for the project, which features a green roof and ample natural lighting.

The Commonwealth Medical College broke ground on the 185,000-sf Medical Sciences Building in Scranton, Pa., in August of 2008. Designed by HOK in partnership with Highland Associates, the facility will support medical education for over 500 students and will accommodate 175 full-time faculty members. The Medical Sciences Building is comprised of a west research wing and an east instructional wing linked by a courtyard.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) opened the 45,000-sf College of Osteopathic Medicine in Yakima, Wash., in August of 2008. The $19.7 million facility will provide health science education for primary care physicians as well as offering degrees in nursing, public heath, and psychology. The private, not-for-profit college is planning to open the College of Allied Health Sciences and the College of Biomedical Sciences as early as fall of 2009.

The University of New Mexico will receive $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Commerce to support the fourth phase of development at its Manufacturing Training and Technology Center in Albuquerque. The existing 56,000-sf facility includes a 6,200-sf training cleanroom. The fourth phase will expand the center’s lab-based training programs supporting the industries of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and medical devices.

Indiana University has selected Flad Architects and Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects to design the $44 million North Studio Building for the Jacobs of Music in Bloomington. The facility will house faculty teaching studios, classrooms, practice rooms, offices, and rehearsal rooms. Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects will act as architect-of-record for the project and will share design leadership with Flad Architects.

The University of South Dakota dedicated the Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building in Vermillion in September of 2008. Part of the Sanford School of Medicine and the School of Health Sciences, the facility houses technology-rich faculty research laboratories, classrooms, and offices.

The University of Texas at Austin dedicated the $55 million Biomedical Engineering Building on August 28, 2008. The 141,000-sf, six-story building houses classrooms, research laboratories, and administrative offices for the Biomedical Engineering Department. The College of Natural Sciences and the College of Pharmacy also occupy individual floors. The interdisciplinary building features nine optics labs constructed two stories below grade for minimization of vibration.

North Carolina State University opened the Man-in-Simulant Test (MIST) laboratory in Raleigh in mid-2008. Located in NC State's College of Textiles, the facility will allow researchers to evaluate the capabilities of protective garments against non-toxic vapors that resemble chemical and biological agents. The laboratory is the only one of its kind located at a university in the United States and was funded by a two-year, $2 million grant from the Department of Defense.

Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) will open the Medical Simulation Center in Dubai in the first quarter of 2009. The 20,461-sf facility will provide a simulation environment for healthcare training in a facility housing an auditorium, teaching spaces, and a library. Including simulation operating rooms, intensive care units, emergency rooms, and ward rooms, the center will feature 6,000-sf for emergency medicine training.

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is engaged in a $102-million expansion of its law school. The project consists of the construction of a new 100,000-sf academic building and the expansion and renovation of existing facilities. Completion is expected in 2012. Additionally, the University will construct a 47,000-sf data center to support its health system operations. The $50.9 million facility is slated for completion in 2010. Both projects broke ground in mid-2008.

Marquette University is planning to construct the $100 million Discovery Learning Complex in Milwaukee. Housing the College of Engineering, the facility will be structured around 15 pods housing conjoined classrooms, faculty offices, and research labs in each grouping. The project will feature multidisciplinary labs for materials and structural testing, complex systems, mechatronics, visualization, neuromechanics, and biomedical imaging. A specialized energy workshop lab will focus on development of alternative energy resources.

Loyola University’s Richard J. Klarchek Information Commons was designed to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy usage as compared to buildings utilizing conventional HVAC systems. The building became functional in mid-January 2008 and has quickly proven itself to be a green success. Energy usage data collected so far indicates that the LEED Silver building is saving more than the projected 50 percent. Hill Mechanical Group of Franklin Park, Ill., installed the HVAC system for the four-story, 70,000-sf facility.

The University of Cincinnati opened the Center for Academic Research Excellence (CARE) on its medical campus in Coryville, Ohio, in August of 2008. The $107.3 million facility features 70,000-sf of health science research laboratories and 17,000-sf of teaching labs. Designed by Studios Architecture of San Francisco and Harley Ellis of Cincinnati, the building is connected by a nine-story glass atrium to the newly renovated Medical Sciences Building (MSB).

Dartmouth University is constructing a $93-million life sciences building on its Hanover, N.H., campus. Named the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, the 174,000-sf sustainably designed facility broke ground in late fall of 2007 and is slated for completion in March of 2010. The complex will house 30 research labs, six teaching labs, three lecture halls, and two classrooms. Sustainable design features of the project include extensive use of natural light, storm water recycling, and a green roof over the auditorium.