Higher Education

Bentley University has been awarded LEED Platinum sustainable design certification for the $45 million Bentley Arena in Waltham, Mass. Designed by Architectural Resources Cambridge, the 76,000-sf project is the only standalone ice arena in the nation to have attained LEED Platinum. The multipurpose facility includes a glass-walled function room, a sports medicine center, state-of-the-art locker rooms, strength and conditioning suites, and a student-run media control room.

Manhattan College broke ground in late April of 2018 on the Patricia and Cornelius Higgins Engineering and Science Center in New York City. Designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects, the three-story, 30,000-sf facility will feature a grand atrium, collaborative learning spaces, and 14 technology-rich labs for teaching and research. Physically connected to a refurbished Leo Hall and adjacent to the existing Research and Learning Center, the project will offer a total of 140,000 sf of academic space for engineering and the sciences.

The University of Cambridge opened a £60 million facility for the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology in April of 2018 in the United Kingdom. Designed by BDP to promote collaboration and interaction, the 118,400-sf facility features a central atrium, BSL-2 and BSL-3 biological laboratories, cleanrooms, laser labs, optical and imaging suites, and a magnetic resonance research center.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro broke ground in April of 2018 on the $105 million Nursing and Instructional Building. Accommodating STEM programs for the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Health and Human Sciences, and the College of Nursing, the five-story, 180,000-sf facility will provide simulation training suites, classrooms, research labs, faculty offices, and teaching labs for biology, chemistry, and anatomy. Occupancy is expected in summer of 2020. A new chiller plant will also be constructed.

The University of Michigan broke ground in April of 2018 on the $75 million Ford Motor Company Robotics Building in Ann Arbor. Located on the North Campus, the four-story, 140,000-sf facility will provide the College of Engineering with collaborative research and development labs, classrooms, offices, high-bay spaces, a three-story fly zone for autonomous aerial vehicles, and an outdoor obstacle course for walking robots. Ford Motor Company will occupy a laboratory on the top floor of the building and is providing $15 million in funding for the project.

The University of Washington broke ground in April of 2018 on the $230 million Population Health Building in Seattle. Designed by The Miller Hull Partnership to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the 290,000-sf facility will house the Department of Global Health, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and a portion of the School of Public Health. The project is being constructed using a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) delivery method with Lease Crutcher Lewis as construction manager.

Louisiana State University opened the 410,000-sf Patrick F. Taylor Hall in April of 2018 in Baton Rouge. Housing the College of Engineering, the $114 million project included construction of the 110,000-sf Chemical Engineering Building Addition and renovation of the existing 300,000-sf structure.

The University at Albany broke ground in April of 2018 on the $180 million Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex (ETEC) in Albany, N.Y. Designed by CannonDesign to foster collaboration with industry partners, the 245,000-sf facility will house UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity; the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences; the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center; and the New York State Mesonet, the nation’s most advanced weather-detection system.

Mercer University dedicated the $44 million Spearman C. Godsey Science Center in April of 2018 in Macon, Ga. Designed by Leo A Daly and Hussey Gay Bell to support collaboration and learning in motion, the four-story, 143,410-sf undergraduate facility provides 60 laboratories, 46 offices, seven lecture rooms, classrooms, and breakout spaces.

Central Michigan University broke ground in April of 2018 on the $26 million Center for Integrated Health Studies in Mount Pleasant. Supporting allied health programs for the delivery of team-based, interdisciplinary care, the 50,000-sf project will feature the Interpersonal Education Center housing a two-room simulation suite with advanced mannequins, as well as eight patient exam rooms for interactive scenario training.

The University of Utah celebrated the opening of the $55 million Gary & Ann Crocker Science Center in April of 2018 in Salt Lake City. Designed by EDA Architects to promote student-faculty interaction, the four-story STEM facility provides interdisciplinary science labs, 10 flexible classrooms, lecture halls, an atrium, and a business incubator.

Idaho National Laboratory and the Idaho State Board of Education broke ground in April of 2018 on two new research facilities in Idaho Falls. The 80,000-sf Cybercore Integration Center will provide advanced electronics labs where industry, government, and academic partners can engage in collaborative cybersecurity research. The 67,000-sf Collaborative Computing Center (C3) will feature a supercomputer for advanced simulation and modeling operations. The estimated construction cost of both facilities is $75 million.

The University of Leicester began construction in March of 2018 on an expansion of its existing student union building in the United Kingdom. Designed by Shepheard Epstein Hunter, the mixed-use project includes the addition of a four-story extension to the east wing which will house a large food court, social learning spaces, and an informatics labs to support programs in information science. A new façade and entrance will also be created to enhance campus connectivity.

Purdue University Northwest will break ground in summer of 2018 on the $40.5 million Bioscience Innovation Building in Hammond, Ind. Designed by CannonDesign to support STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 68,000-gsf facility will provide advanced instructional labs, collaborative learning rooms, clinical simulation suites, and research labs. Slated for completion in June of 2020, the building will accommodate progressive teaching and research programs for the Department of Biological Sciences and the College of Nursing.

The University of Cincinnati is building a new facility for the Carl H. Linder School of Business. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects to promote interaction and collaboration, the $120 million project will provide over 240 faculty offices, a three-story atrium, a 250-seat auditorium, and a 150-seat, two-story lecture hall. The four-story, 225,000-sf project will also offer research labs, flexible classrooms, exam and tutoring areas, numerous huddle and breakout rooms, a variety of open workspaces, and two spacious courtyards.