Too many expensive new science buildings are failing to meet their critical operational requirements. The number one cause of this costly and damaging outcome is a common yet preventable gap between 'build' and 'operate' that results in post-construction O&M staffing being too little, too late, and unprepared. But wait, there’s an algorithm for that!
When Texas A&M created a new set of buildings for its veterinary school, it sought to provide spaces that would work for current methods of teaching sciences, but also flexibility to accommodate future change. Change, as we all know, can be difficult, so the process included not just demountable walls and flexible furnishings, but also a focus on change management among the faculty.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center opened the $22.3 million Academic Classroom Building in Odessa in February of 2019. Designed to promote active learning, the two-story, 51,000-sf facility provides studio classrooms, lecture halls, physical and occupational therapy training labs, research labs, and departmental offices for the schools of medicine, nursing, and health professions.
The University of Washington opened the $110 million Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering in February of 2019 in Seattle. Designed by LMN Architects to foster interaction and collaboration, the 135,000-sf facility features a 3,000-sf robotics lab, a 240-seat auditorium, a maker space, a virtual and augmented reality lab, a wet lab, and two 100-seat classrooms. The building also houses a flexible event hall, a café, a student services hub, faculty offices, and an undergraduate commons.
Leeds Beckett University is building the Carnegie Teaching and Research Building in the United Kingdom. The £45 million project was designed by Sheppard Robson to provide an iconic home for the Carnegie School of Sport. The center will offer sophisticated teaching and research facilities including a hypoxic lab, a health and wellbeing studio, enhanced strength and conditioning spaces, changing rooms, and recovery areas. The roof of the building will accommodate a walking track and a covered 60-meter sprinting track for performance training and analysis.
The University of Toronto is designing a nine-story academic hub to support urban research, education, and engagement. Designed by architectsAlliance, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and ERA Architects, the 170,000-gsf multidisciplinary building will provide a permanent home for the School of Cities as well as accommodating programs in history, music, and cultural studies.
Texas Woman's University broke ground in February of 2019 on the $54 million Science and Technology Learning Center in Denton. The 80,000-sf facility will provide graduate and undergraduate research labs for programs in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, psychology, and nutrition and food science. The four-story building will include a microscopy suite, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, faculty offices, and graduate student workspaces. Completion is expected in June of 2020.
An emerging new model for hybrid translational healthcare facilities combines scientific research with university and professional athletic programs to increase community engagement and student wellbeing. From integrating sports training facilities with medical clinics and applied research, to incorporating fitness gyms, running tracks, and rock-climbing walls into student lounges and public spaces, the combination of athletics and recreation with other programs offers an innovative vision for academic facility design.
Auburn University will begin construction in spring of 2019 on the $94 million Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center in Auburn, Ala. Accommodating programs in hospitality management, the 142,000-sf complex will include a boutique hotel, a restaurant, a food hall, a wine appreciation center, a micro-distillery, a brewing science lab, a culinary exhibition lab, a food and beverage media studio, a rooftop swimming pool, and six leasable residences.
Southern Methodist University broke ground in February of 2019 on the 50,000-sf Gerald J. Ford Hall for Research and Innovation. Accommodating programs in high-performance computing and data science, the building will house the AT&T Center for Virtualization, the Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute, and the Visualization Lab. Funded in part by a $15 million philanthropic contribution, the facility will also provide a new home for the Hart eCenter and the SMU Guildhall graduate game design program.
Bucknell University will break ground in summer of 2019 on a $50 million building for the Freeman College of Management and the Department of Art & Art History in Lewisburg, Pa. Designed by CannonDesign with Barton Malow Company as construction manager, the 79,500-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide classrooms, studios, labs, design suites, and faculty offices. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which is slated for completion in spring of 2021.
Weber State University will begin construction in May of 2019 on the $20 million Computer and Automotive Engineering Building in Layton, Utah. Located on the Davis campus, the 50,000-sf facility will accommodate programs in automotive technology, software engineering, and computer science, including courses in big data and cybersecurity.
When the small, commuter-focused University of Washington campus in downtown Tacoma decided to renovate the old Tacoma Paper and Stationery building, the idea wasn’t just to create a biomedical research lab, or an electrical engineering facility, or an urban studies center, or a community meeting place, or maker space. The goal was to accomplish all of those things in one facility, and to serve as a home away from home for students, faculty, and the greater Tacoma community, in spaces that were welcoming, informal, and multi-functional. Some of the biomed labs and classrooms have glass walls; many rooms have movable furniture and adaptable designs; and shared spaces allow individuals or groups to just pop in without reserving them in advance.
Lockheed Martin opened the $50 million Research & Development II facility in Orlando in February of 2019. The six-story, 255,000-sf building offers collaborative offices and laboratories to support engineering, program management, and business operations for the company's Missiles and Fire Control division as well as the Rotary and Mission Systems division. The duration of construction was one year.
Rosalind Franklin University is building the $50 million Innovation and Research Park in North Chicago, Ill. The four-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide leading-edge research labs, business incubator space, meeting rooms, and common areas. The project will promote collaboration among faculty, industry scientists, and biotech entrepreneurs in order to accelerate the discovery and commercialization of new medical treatments and therapeutics.
