The University of Minnesota broke ground in February of 2018 on the $109 million Health Sciences Education Center in Minneapolis. Designed by Perkins+Will and The S/L/A/M Collaborative to support interprofessional education, the project includes the creation of a new 142,100-sf facility and renovation of 52,000 sf of existing space.
Western Kentucky University dedicated the $32.2 million Ogden College Hall in February of 2018 in Bowling Green. Designed by Ross Tarrant Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the four-story, 83,000-gsf facility provides a 300-seat auditorium, a computer lab, administrative offices for the College of Science and Engineering, and 36 laboratories for biology, chemistry, and physics. General contractor Whittenberg Construction broke ground on the project in April of 2016.
Sacred Heart University has transformed part of a former skilled nursing facility into a contemporary, residential life complex of single rooms and two- and four-bedroom suites, as well as an apartment for the resident director. The five-story Pierre Toussaint Hall is the university’s newest undergraduate dormitory located on the school’s upper quadrangle of the main campus, creating the first component of a residential village that will provide additional on-campus housing.
The Core Labs at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia are run as a centrally governed “one lab” facility. In addition to successfully providing state-of-the-art equipment, training, and services to students, researchers, faculty, staff, industry partners, and collaborators, the core labs extend their services to external users, such as government organizations, research institutes, and other universities. By centralizing the business operations of 10 specialized labs, the model fosters collaboration, rationalizes necessary square footage, improves access to equipment and services, and eliminates duplication of resources, thus enhancing overall efficiency and reducing expenditures.
The University of Texas at Austin opened the $186 million Robert B. Rowling Hall in February of 2018. Housing graduate programs for the McCombs School of Business, the 497,500-sf facility was designed by Jacobs and Ennead Architects to foster experiential learning and entrepreneurship. Utilizing internal glass walls for optimal transparency, the project offers technology-rich classrooms, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, and convention venues, as well as housing a state-of-the-art studio for video and sound production.
Western Carolina University officially broke ground on the $110 million Tom Apodaca Science Building in March of 2018 in Cullowhee, N.C. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent, the project will provide teaching labs and classrooms to support programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Construction will begin in August of 2018 with occupancy expected in June of 2021.
Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) has mandated that Building Information Modeling (BIM) be implemented in the final phase of its $9 billion construction program. LACCD, which is the largest community college district in the United States and comprises nine colleges, is also targeting net-zero energy consumption in the sustainable development of its extensive portfolio.
Taconic Biosciences, a breeder of mice and rats for medical research, opened its 8,000-sf headquarters in February of 2018 in East Greenbush, N.Y. Located in the Cancer Research Center Building on the University at Albany Health Sciences campus, the facility is strategically sited to optimize relationships with key stakeholders and customers. The space houses the company's leadership team, as well as members of its product strategy, marketing, human resources, finance, quality, customers service, and business technology units.
Cañada College will begin construction in spring of 2018 on the Math, Science and Technology building in Redwood City, Calif. The three-story, 50,000-sf facility will offer flexible classrooms, teaching labs, faculty offices, and an indoor/outdoor learning commons. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the net-zero project, which will also participate in the PG&E Savings by Design Program, which provides services to help meet and exceed California’s Title 24 energy efficiency requirements.
Promedica and the University of Toledo will open a $57 million joint neurosciences center in April of 2018. Located on the campus of ProMedica Toledo Hospital, the three-story, 122,000-sf building will house physician offices for multiple neurological specialties, a research clinic, imaging and diagnostic suites, and academic space to support medical training and residency programs. The general contractor for the patient-centric facility is Rudolph Libbe.
What the university needs: A spacious, modern science building, with an additional 5,000 sf. What the university has: An old, dark, rather cramped classroom building, built for a different era in education, with inadequate systems, and no room to expand. It’s a common problem on university campuses, and in many cases solving it requires flexibility, creativity, and patience. At the University of Pittsburgh, Howard Skoke, AIA, of EwingCole Architects and Engineers and the university’s own Ilona Beresford worked together on a six-month master plan to devise a $65 million modernization. The project, scheduled to begin construction in May 2019, will open the building to new uses and adapt its systems for health and efficiency. At the same time, it will preserve a historic exterior and cost far less than a new building.
The School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) campus expansion and construction of the new East Building alongside Clarks Cove consolidates UMass Dartmouth’s entire Marine Science research and teaching program at one site, with its over 120 faculty, staff, and students. The campus also accommodates the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) South Coast operations and its 50 staff, enhancing the continuing collaborations of SMAST and DMF in support of sustainable fisheries.
The University of Maryland is planning to build the $50 million Innovate, Design, and Engineer for America Factory in College Park. Offering open student workspaces, prototyping suites, and studios for engineering design and instruction, the 60,000-sf facility will include a student-run incubator and research labs for robotics, manufacturing, quantum technology, and transportation. The collaborative project will be built on the site of the existing Potomac Building and will physically connect to the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building.
Biola University dedicated the $63 million Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health in February of 2018 in La Mirada, Calif. The 91,200-sf facility provides 24 teaching labs, three faculty research labs, a fabrication lab, a computer lab, and 70 offices. The building also offers five lecture classrooms, a greenhouse, an observatory, and suites for nursing skills simulation, applied physiology, and anatomy.
AgResearch, one of New Zealand's leading Crown Research Institutes, is partnering with Massey University to build the NZD$45 million Food Science Facility. Located on Massey's Manawatū campus, the three-story, 54,000-sf project will provide labs and shared spaces to support teaching and research programs in meat and dairy production.
