Higher Education

Dartmouth College began construction in January of 2019 on a $200 million expansion of its engineering and computer science facilities in Hanover, N.H. Featuring a large central atrium and collaborative design studios, the 160,000-sf building will accommodate the Thayer School of Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, the Magnuson Family Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Dartmouth Electron Microscopy Facility. The interdisciplinary facility will be located on top of a three-story, 340-car underground parking structure.

The University of Colorado is planning to construct a $45 million Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub in Boulder. Built as an addition that will physically connect the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the College of Business, the 75,000-sf project will include 45,000 gsf of new construction and 30,000 gsf of renovated space. The collaborative facility will provide technology-enhanced classrooms for active learning, an auditorium, a library, faculty offices, team rooms, a multipurpose event space, and an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship center.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston opened a $15 million facility for the School of Biomedical Informatics in December of 2018. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the two-story, 44,709-sf project is the first freestanding school of biomedical informatics in the United States and was constructed on top of an existing parking garage.

Nebraska Wesleyan University opened the $29 million Duane W. Acklie Hall of Science in December of 2018 in Lincoln. Designed by The Clark Enersen Partners to put science on display, the three-story, 80,000-sf facility provides six classrooms, 15 laboratories, faculty offices, study areas, and collaboration spaces for the departments of chemistry, biology, and psychology. Sampson Construction broke ground on the project in April of 2017.

Heriot Watt University is planning to construct the National Robotarium in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. Created in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the £100 million innovation hub will support research and development on robotics and autonomous systems as well as providing instruction and training facilities for computational science programs. The project is an integral part of the region’s Data Driven Innovation (DDI) initiative that aims to establish the area as the data capital of Europe. Occupancy is expected in 2021. 

The University of Manchester opened the £60 million Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre in December of 2018 in the United Kingdom. Located in the new 91,000-sf Masdar Building on the North campus, the facility will accommodate collaborative materials science research and development with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

16 Tech Community Corporation broke ground in December of 2018 on the $30 million Advanced Research and Innovation Facility in Indianapolis. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute will lease over 67,000 sf on the first three floors of the building to accommodate researchers engaged in the study of diabetes, nutrition, and metabolics. Indiana University School of Medicine will locate the Center for Regenerative Medicine's molecular therapeutics program in 12,000 sf of the facility, which will also house the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.

The University of Houston-Victoria is building the $28 million Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Building in Victoria, Texas. Designed by SmithGroup, the three-story, 58,464-sf facility will provide robotics and gaming labs, software development suites, motion capture rooms, a 120-seat classroom, and an immersive media lab with a 210-degree screen.

Weber State University opened the renovated Lindquist Hall in December of 2018 in Ogden, Utah. Designed by GSBS Architects, the four-story, 119,322-sf facility provides five labs, 34 classrooms, a 150-seat lecture hall, a computer lab, a testing center, study spaces, and 72 offices for the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. Lindquist Hall also houses the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service and the Richard Richards Institute for Ethics.

The University of Hawaii - West Oahu opened the $32 million Administration and Allied Health Facility in December of 2018 in Kapolei. Designed by Perkins+Will and KYA Design Group to accommodate interdisciplinary health sciences education, the collaborative 44,000-sf facility provides nine classrooms, a computer lab, two support labs, faculty and administrative offices, and teaching labs for anatomy, cellular biology, microbiology, and organic chemistry.

Georgia Southern University broke ground in December of 2018 on the $50 million Center for Engineering and Research in Statesboro. Designed by SmithGroup and Stevens & Wilkinson to promote interaction and collaboration, the three-story, 135,000-sf facility will provide a centralized home for the departments and disciplines of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing.

The University of Michigan is planning to create the Central Campus Classroom Building in Ann Arbor. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative and Harley Ellis Devereaux, the project includes the renovation and repurposing of the historic Alexander G. Ruthven Museums Building to provide 135,000 gsf of computational research space, a 200-person multipurpose room, and administrative offices.

The University of New Haven is building the Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation in West Haven, Conn. Designed by Svigals+Partners, the three-story, 44,000-sf facility will provide sophisticated science and engineering labs, collaborative classrooms, a maker space, an atrium, and video production studios. The interdisciplinary building will also include a co-working space for faculty and administrative staff instead of individual offices. Ground was broken on the project in October of 2018 and completion is expected in early 2020.

The Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is planning to create a £66 million research and production facility in the United Kingdom. Located in the Oxford Science Park, the project will support the development and manufacturing of vaccines for clinical trials and epidemic threat mitigation, as well as the creation of gene therapy technologies and personalized medicine solutions.

The benefits of peer-based learning have led colleges around the country to devote spaces for students to study in groups. Designing these spaces so they actually attract students—making them “sticky”—requires providing the right mix for solo students and small and large groups; the furniture to accommodate them; amenities like ample white boards and well-placed coffee bars; floods of natural light; and ubiquitous access to power for recharging smartphones and laptops.