Higher Education

Pennsylvania State University is planning to construct the 275,600-sf Millennium Science Complex in University Park, Pa. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the interdisciplinary, collaborative facility will house research laboratories and offices for the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Materials Research Institute. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which will incorporate green roofs and storm water management.

East Stroudsburg University opened the $41 million Science and Technology Center in East Stroudsburg, Pa., in September of 2008. The facility will provide space for instruction in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Designed to foster interdisciplinary interaction, the 124,000-sf building houses 17 teaching labs, nine research labs, nine classrooms, a 200-seat auditorium, a museum of natural history, and a planetarium and rooftop observatory.

The University of California, Irvine completed the 482,428-sf University Hospital academic medical center in Orange, Calif., in September of 2008. The $375 million hospital provides 191 beds as well as research and training facilities for the UCI School of Medicine.

McGill University opened the $73 million Life Sciences Complex (LSC) in Montreal, Quebec, on September 24, 2008. The project is comprised of the Francesco Bellini Life Sciences Building and the Cancer Research Building. The interdisciplinary research complex will accommodate 60 scientists from McGill's Faculties of Science and Medicine and McGill University Health Centre. Research will focus on five biomedical areas: chemical biology, cancer, genetics of complex traits, cell information transfer systems, and developmental and reproductive biology.

Queensland University of Technology opened the $10.7 million Medical Engineering and Research Facility at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane in September of 2008. The translational research facility will support collaboration between medical specialists and biomedical researchers in areas such as orthopaedic medicine, critical care, and artificial organs. Enabling surgeons and researchers to develop new methods and technologies on donor bodies, the project will foster biomedical innovation as well as providing medical training for healthcare professionals.

Nottingham Trent University completed the £1.4 million Anthony Nolan Trust Cord Blood Centre at its Clifton campus in Nottingham in September of 2008. The combined blood bank and research center was built by Clean Modules Ltd and includes cleanroom facilities for processing and cryogenic storage. The project meets EU GMP and GLP regulations and will house stem cell donations from umbilical cords and placentas for disease treatment and research.

Simon Fraser University opened the $56.9 million Blusson Hall in Vancouver, B.C., in September of 2008. The 12,000-sm facility houses open wet and dry laboratories, classrooms, offices, seminar rooms, a lecture hall, and a computer lab. The three-story, U-shaped complex is constructed around a central courtyard and is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The LEED Silver project features a green roof, solar shading, radiant-floor heating, and abundant natural light.

Yale School of Medicine completed the 25,864-sf Laboratory for Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology (LSOG) in New Haven, Conn., in September of 2008. Designed by Svigals + Partners, the $9 million project involved renovation of the second and third floors of the LSOG building to house updated research laboratories, instructional spaces, conference rooms, and offices.

The University of Kentucky broke ground on a $28.5 million expansion and renovation of the Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center in Lexington in September of 2008. The project will include the construction of a necropsy laboratory wing and an administrative wing, nearly doubling the size of the existing 38,000-sf building, which will be completely renovated. The facility will also switch to alkaline digestion for tissue disposal. Completion is expected by 2010.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business broke ground on the Knight Management Center on September 10, 2008. The 360,000-sf business school campus will include eight buildings conjoined by three quadrangles. The $350 million project is expected to reach completion in spring of 2011. Housing a 600-seat lecture hall, tiered classrooms, flexible instruction spaces, and breakout study rooms, the collaborative facility is designed to foster cross-disciplinary experience with the departments of medicine, engineering, law, education, life sciences, and humanities.

California State University Fullerton has awarded the Los Angeles division of PCL Constructors a $118-million design-build contract to construct a 1,080-bed student housing project. LEED Gold certification for sustainable design will be sought for the complex, which will be comprised of five five-story buildings and a dining facility.

Southern Oregon University opened a 68,700-sf academic facility in Medford in September of 2008. Created in collaboration with Rogue Community College, the three-story, joint-use building houses science and computer labs, classrooms, a business center, and a testing area. LEED Platinum certification will be sought for the project, which features extensive daylighting, heat recovery, ultra-low-flow water fixtures, and high-efficiency condensing boilers and water heaters. The facility was designed by SERA Architects of Portland.

The University of Iowa is constructing the $120 million Institute for Biomedical Discovery in Iowa City. Located next to the Carver Biomedical Research Building, the 200,000-sf facility will house laboratories for biomedical, life science, and stem cell research. The project broke ground in September of 2007 and will include the $25 million Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center. 

Stanford University is constructing the 130,000-sf Jen-Hsun Huang School of Engineering Center in Stanford, Calif. Slated for completion in the second quarter of 2010, the facility will house administrative offices, a conference center, a student commons, a library, and a café. Designed by BOORA Architects of Portland, Ore., the sustainably-built project is the second of four buildings that will create a new Science and Engineering Quad.

Napa Valley College is constructing a 48,000-sf performing arts instructional center in Napa, Calif. Designed by HGA Architects and Engineers, the facility includes a 550-seat theater, a black box theater, offices, a recital venue, and rehearsal spaces. Completion is expected in spring of 2010.