Higher Education

Duke University is laying claim to the future with a new $115 million engineering facility, the Wilkinson Building. The flexible, adaptable structure was completed in November 2020, and opened for students and researchers in January. Space for engineering education and research expands with 150,000 gsf on five levels. That translates into a 25 percent increase in the university’s engineering footprint and 50 percent more teaching and student program space for engineering.

Heriot Watt University began construction in March of 2021 on the National Robotarium in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. Designed by Michael Laird Architects, the 40,000-sf building will accommodate innovative research programs in robotics, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence. Created in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, the center of excellence will enable academics, engineers, and industry partners to address a wide range of global challenges.

The University of Cincinnati began construction in March of 2021 on a $45.6 million renovation and expansion of Linder Hall to create a new home for the College of Law. Designed by Perkins+Will and BHDP Architecture, the project will repurpose and enlarge the 84,443-sf structure to create a 116,635-sf facility featuring a two-story lobby atrium, three flexible 50-seat classrooms, a 90-seat classroom, and a 160-seat auditorium that can function as an appellate courtroom.

North Carolina State University completed construction in February of 2021 on the $150 million Fitts-Woolard Hall in Raleigh. The 225,000-sf teaching and research facility provides over 100 classrooms and laboratories for the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and the Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

James Cook University began construction in March of 2021 on the AUD$94 million Technology Innovation Complex in Townsville, Queensland. Designed by KIRK Architects in association with i4 Architecture and Charles Wright Architects, the four-story, 101,180-sf building will provide flexible multimodal environments for STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Designing facilities for student retention means designing for student success. It also means designing for a diverse student body. Whether it’s a freshman who isn’t faring well in his first semester of chemistry; a student who has just had her professional aspirations dashed by a faltering economy and could benefit from a fresh round of career counseling; or a budget-minded commuter student who needs a microwave to warm up dinner brought from home—today’s colleges and universities are increasingly expected to support the entire student experience.

Ferris State University will begin construction in May of 2021 on the $29.5 million Center for Virtual Learning in Big Rapids, Mich. Designed by Stantec, the 64,000-sf facility will provide a centralized home for the university's online education activities. Accommodating current and future advances in virtual learning approaches, the project will feature unique adaptable environments for digital content creation and instruction.

Creighton University is planning to break ground in summer of 2021 on the $75 million CL Werner Center for Health Sciences Education in Omaha. Providing a new home for the School of Medicine, the five-story, 130,000-sf facility will enable students enrolled in allied health programs including nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistance, and behavioral health to learn and train with medical students in the delivery team-based care.

San Francisco State University will begin construction in summer of 2021 on the $169 million Science & Engineering Innovation Center. Comprising 125,000 sf of new construction and 54,000 sf of renovated space, the 179,000-sf facility will provide the College of Science and Engineering with leading-edge labs and classrooms, as well as offering informal interaction spaces, interdisciplinary lecture halls, and active learning classrooms that will be accessible to the entire campus community.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the fourth quarter of 2020. Key points include:

Construction Prices: Remain flat through Q4 of 2020, with one in ten projects showing cost reductions with strong contractor coverage across the board.

Fed Watch: The Federal Reserve continued monetary stimulus.

Architectural Billings: Q4 has returned to growth in inquiries; however, three quarters of billing declines in 2020 will result in a lower volume for the first half of 2021.

The University of British Columbia is planning to construct the CAD$136 million School of Biomedical Engineering Building on the Point Grey campus in Vancouver. The 151,305-gsf facility will accommodate teaching and research labs, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, and offices. Featuring innovative learning venues for undergraduate and graduate programs, the building will provide classrooms, a 250-seat lecture hall, and a central atrium for informal learning and interaction.

Caltech dedicated the $210 million Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Neuroscience Research Building in January of 2021 in Pasadena. Designed by SmithGroup to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the 150,000-sf facility provides wet, dry, and computational research labs for the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering. Standing three stories above grade with two basement levels, the structure includes teaching labs, a neurotechnology lab, a 150-seat lecture hall, conference rooms, and offices for investigators and staff.

The University of Texas at San Antonio broke ground in January of 2021 on a $90 million facility for the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center. Designed by Jacobs and Overland Partners, the six-story, 167,000-sf structure will provide the School of Data Science with 86,000 sf of classrooms, labs, and offices for the departments of computer science, computer engineering, statistics and data sciences, and information systems and cybersecurity.

Academic libraries are radically reprogramming spaces and services to connect students to validated digital information and the expertise of library staff. Space that once housed printed information is being opened for people to collaborate and create. When the multi-year, multi-phased University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library renovation is complete, it will add 401 seats (a 15 percent increase) and enhanced digital services in a welcoming environment that inspires discovery. At Carnegie Mellon University’s Sorrells Engineering and Science Library, reprogramming and a few strategic design moves have resulted in 115 percent increase in user occupancy.

The University of Miami is constructing the $60 million Frost Institute of Chemical and Molecular Science in Coral Gables, Fla. Designed by Harvard Jolly Architecture, the five-story, 94,000-sf facility will include a central gathering area, seminar rooms, a microscopy imaging suite, innovation labs, and investigator offices. The highly flexible structure will feature open wet lab environments with moveable benches and fixtures. Overhead service carriers will supply power and gas to the lab benches for optimal reconfigurability.