Higher Education

The University of Maryland broke ground in November of 2017 on the $543 million Capital Region Medical Center in Largo. The 11-story, 600,000-sf project will provide 205 private inpatient rooms, a 45-bay emergency department, eight operating rooms, a 20-bed observation and treatment area, and two rooftop helipads. The teaching hospital will also include a cancer center and a 15-bed specialty pediatric facility. Occupancy is expected in March of 2021.

Georgia Tech is engaged in a renewal of Prince Gilbert Library in Atlanta. Designed by Praxis 3 to provide sophisticated physical and digital spaces for students, faculty, and staff, the Library Next project includes a new connection between the two existing buildings as well as the creation of flexible workspaces, reading rooms, collaboration areas, conference spaces, and technology labs for audio, video, computing, and visualization activities. Ground was broken on the project in summer of 2016 and completion is expected in early 2020.  

Harvard University is planning to develop the 900,000-sf Enterprise Research Campus in the Allston district of Boston. The 36-acre project will provide teaching, research, and residential facilities in a mixed-use setting that will include business incubators, space for private companies and nonprofits, and public green areas. The first phase of development will create 400,000 sf of office and lab space, 250,000 sf of rental housing, and 250,000 sf of conference and hotel space on a 14-acre site. 

The University of Notre Dame opened Campus Crossroads in fall of 2017 in Notre Dame, Ind. The $400 million project included the construction of three buildings adjacent to Notre Dame Stadium: O’Neill Hall, Corbett Family Hall, and Duncan Student Center. The project provides over 800,000 sf of classrooms, labs, meeting rooms, event venues, and performance spaces designed for integration with game-day activities at the renovated stadium.

Northern State University is planning to begin construction in spring of 2018 on the $25 million Regional Science Education Center in Aberdeen, S.D. Comprising two wings, the 54,000-sf facility will offer an 80-student classroom, two 35-student classrooms, and faculty offices on one side, and laboratories and conference rooms on the other. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2019. 

Carleton University will begin construction in 2018 on a $48 million facility for the Sprott School of Business in Ottawa. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the six-story, 100,000-sf Nicol Building will feature flexible learning environments, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, and a dedicated venture accelerator for the Carleton Entrepreneurs. The technology-rich facility will accommodate executive and management training programs for business leaders as well as offering a variety of event and meeting venues.

Duke University began site work in December of 2017 on a new home for the School of Nursing in Durham, N.C. Designed to deliver an instructional model of patient-centered care across multiple medical disciplines, the five-story, 102,000-sf building will house a simulation training center, faculty and administrative offices, the Center for Nursing Research, and the Duke Health Center for Interprofessional Education. The facility will also accommodate the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

Northwestern University is planning to build a new commons facility in Evanston, Ill. Designed by Ennead Architects, the $180 million University Commons will be a dynamic, open structure accessible from multiple sides on two levels. The 209,000-sf project will house a black box theater, an auditorium, a large multipurpose room, study spaces, meeting rooms, and collaboration areas. A construction schedule has not yet been established. 

Bucknell University will begin construction in spring of 2018 on the $38 million Academic East facility in Lewisburg, Pa. Designed by Stantec, the 78,000-sf project will provide four classrooms and 30 offices that will be shared by the College of Engineering and the Department of Education. The facility will also house over 25 engineering labs to accommodate collaborative research on materials science, fluid mechanics, food science, and sustainable transportation to enable the development of technologies for the optimization of human health.

The Hull McKnight Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center began construction in December of 2017 on a 165,000-sf technology incubator and workforce development facility in Augusta. Slated for completion in late 2018, the five-story project is supported by $35 million in state funding and represents the center's second phase of construction. A $60 million, 167,000-sf cybersecurity research facility is currently under construction at the site and completion is expected in July of 2018.

Swarthmore College is constructing the $120 million Biology, Engineering, and Psychology Building in Swarthmore, Pa. Designed by Ballinger, the 160,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will feature flexible classrooms, labs, and common spaces to support enhanced pedagogical experiences linked to environmental sustainability. The project will be developed according to Swarthmore’s Environmental Sustainability Framework, a standard equivalent to LEED Platinum, with some elements exceeding LEED Platinum criteria.

The University of Illinois at Chicago broke ground in November of 2017 on the Engineering Innovation Building. Housing the departments of chemical engineering, mechanical and industrial engineering, civil engineering, and materials science, the 58,665-gsf (35,335-nsf) facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, student project areas, a high-bay structural research lab, a chemical engineering pilot plant, and offices for faculty and staff.

South Dakota State University is planning a $55 million expansion and renovation of its agricultural science facilities in Brookings. The project includes a $7 million renovation of the existing Berg Agricultural Hall and construction of the $32 million Precision Agriculture Facility. Featuring collaborative teaching and research labs, the new 129,000-sf structure will offer classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and industrial laboratories to support programs in precision agriculture, a modern farming approach that emphasizes efficiency, technology, and sustainability.

Towson University broke ground in December of 2017 on the $184 million New Science Complex in Towson, Md. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 316,000-sf facility will provide 50 teaching labs, 30 research labs, 50 classrooms, 10 student collaboration areas, eight lecture halls, and a vivarium. The project will also include an outdoor classroom, a planetarium, an observatory, a museum, a rain garden, and a rooftop greenhouse. The general contractor is Whiting-Turner.

Carilion Clinic is partnering with Virginia Tech on the construction of a $90 million research and teaching facility in Roanoke. Designed by AECOM, the 139,000-sf Virginia Tech Carilion Biomedical Research Expansion will provide collaborative, technology-rich laboratories and experiential learning areas.