Higher Education

BioMed Realty and the University of California, San Diego opened the $92 million Center for Novel Therapeutics in September of 2019. Located on the Science Research Park campus in San Diego, the 137,500-sf translational research facility enables investigators from the UCSD Moores Cancer Center to collaborate with pharmaceutical partners on the creation of innovative cancer treatments. The center also houses the city's first academic-industry drug discovery incubator.

Ball State University is constructing the $87.5 million Foundational Sciences Building in Muncie, Ind. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 205,000-sf facility will provide 28 teaching labs, 44 research labs, six classrooms, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, faculty offices, computer labs, an imaging suite, and a research library. The five-story interdisciplinary building was designed by RATIO Architects to offer optimal flexibility and adaptability to accommodate changing programmatic needs.

Midwestern State University opened the $40 million Centennial Hall in September of 2019 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Housing the Gunn College of Health Sciences and Human Services, the 87,000-sf facility offers an 80-person round classroom, a learning stair, a collaborative student lounge, and a full-height atrium.

Defense contractor X Corp Solutions opened the $10 million Quantico Cyber Hub in September of 2019 in Stafford, Va. The three-story, 30,000-sf facility provides state-of-the-art classrooms for cybersecurity education and training programs. The building also accommodates a certified national testing center, workshops, a cyber café, collaboration areas, administrative offices, and innovation space for the American Cyber League.

The University of Warwick is planning to build the £54.3 million Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building in Coventry in the United Kingdom. Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the 75,000-sf facility will include flexible open labs for up to 300 researchers, a 400-seat lecture hall, a café, a large public entrance, and exhibition space. The five-story building will offer a central ‘lab village’ core, with offices and collaboration zones located on the perimeter to activate the façade.

Lafayette College opened the $75 million Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center in August of 2019 in Easton, Pa. Designed by Payette to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the 103,000-sf facility houses the departments of biology, computer science, and environmental studies and science, as well as accommodating programs in neuroscience and engineering.

Towson University is planning to construct a $166 million facility for the College of Health Professions in Towson, Md. Collocating the college's undergraduate and graduate departments in a single integrated structure, the 229,000-sf facility will accommodate programs in nursing, health sciences, occupational therapy, occupational science, speech-language pathology, and audiology. The collaborative project is being designed by Perkins+Will and JMT Architecture.

The University of Lethbridge opened the CAD$280 million Science Commons in September of 2019 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Collocating the departments of biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and physics and astronomy, the transdisciplinary building provides flexible teaching and research labs, academic classrooms, meeting rooms, gathering areas, and a central atrium. Designed by Stantec and KPMB, the 387,500-sf facility includes a community education venue with interactive science displays.

The Air Force Research Laboratory will break ground in fall of 2019 on the $12 million Open Innovation Campus in Rome, N.Y. Located at Griffiss International Airport, the facility is being constructed in partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, The Griffiss Institute, and Oneida County. The project includes the renovation of a three-story, 40,000-sf building to create leading-edge research space for the study of artificial intelligence and quantum information science.

The University of Cincinnati opened the $120 million Carl H. Linder School of Business in August of 2019. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects and KZF Design, the four-story, 225,000-sf building features a three-story atrium, a 250-seat auditorium, and a 150-seat, two-story lecture hall. The collaborative structure offers flexible classrooms of various sizes, research labs, exam and tutoring areas, numerous huddle and breakout rooms, a range of open workspaces, and over 160 faculty and staff offices.

Miami Dade College opened the $56 million Center for Learning, Innovation and Simulation in September of 2019 in Miami. Designed by Kahler Slater and Harvard Jolly Architecture, the 132,000-sf facility features a simulation hospital with 15 patient rooms utilizing sophisticated mannequins for medical training. The five-story building also offers a CAVE virtual reality chamber, ten examination rooms, a home health apartment, an ambulance simulation suite, a physical therapy room, wet labs, and four student lounges.

Tarleton State University opened the $54 million Engineering Building in August of 2019 in Stephenville, Texas. Designed by Stantec, the 97,000-sf facility provides classrooms, labs, active learning rooms, and offices to support programs in computer science, engineering, and engineering technology. Featuring specialized spaces for robotics, prototyping, fluid dynamics, and materials testing, the three-story building includes a capstone workroom, a wind tunnel, a flume, and high-bay labs.

Multi-disciplinary project-based learning has changed how and where student activities occur, and institutions have responded by creating novel labs, teaching facilities, gathering areas, and maker spaces designed for students and faculty across diverse disciplines—engineering, life sciences, and liberal arts. A number of projects throughout the country highlight important design considerations—including location, flexibility, adaptability, and transparency—that suit new ways of learning and provide universities with opportunities for marketing and recruitment. Post-occupancy data from the University of North Carolina provides real-world findings that can help others improve the design of current and future maker spaces.

The University of Colorado Boulder opened the $101 million Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building in August of 2019. Designed by HCM (Hord Coplan Macht) and RATIO Architects, the collaborative 178,294-sf facility provides bioastronautics labs, high bay spaces, workshops, fabrication suites, interactive classrooms, faculty offices, a 200-seat auditorium, and an indoor flight environment for unmanned aircraft.

Temple University opened the $175.8 million Charles Library in August of 2019 in Philadelphia. Designed by Snøhetta and Stantec, the 220,000-sf facility features an automated storage retrieval system (ASRS) to access the 2.5 million volumes stored in the building. To encourage interaction and collaboration among students and faculty, the library includes an expansive three-story atrium, a café, and a zone that is open 24 hours a day.