Simon Fraser University opened the CAD$126 million Sustainable Energy Engineering building in April of 2019 in Surrey, British Columbia. Designed by Revery Architecture with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 220,200-sf facility will accommodate programs in renewable energy, sustainable manufacturing, mechatronics, and clean power generation.
Colorado State University opened the $20 million JBS Global Food Innovation Center in April of 2019 in Fort Collins. Designed to promote innovation in food science, nutrition, animal welfare, and food safety, the 36,000-sf facility includes a comprehensive meat harvesting and processing center, a culinary research hub, 200-seat auditorium with a demonstration area, a retail store, and a café.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst opened the $62 million Business Innovation Hub in April of 2019. Designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) with Goody Clancy as architect of record, the 72,000-sf project represents an expansion and partial renovation of the Isenberg School of Management. Featuring flexible collaboration and social spaces, the technology-rich circular structure consolidates Isenberg’s faculty and staff in a single location to promote connectivity.
The Center for Active Design will release Fitwel v2.1 in June of 2019. Promoting the creation of facilities that optimize health, Fitwel was developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Center for Active Design acting as its licensed operator. The updated version of Fitwel includes a new construction pathway for pre-occupancy and post-occupancy projects and now provides both a Design Certification and a Built Certification. Existing facilities will continue to be eligible for certification in the Built category.
The University of Michigan opened the $261 million Biological Science Building in April of 2019 in Ann Arbor. Designed by SmithGroup and Ennead Architects to accommodate 90 principal investigators and their teams, the interdisciplinary building offers 84 wet and dry research labs arranged in open neighborhoods for optimal flexibility.
Pennsylvania State University dedicated the $144 million Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building in April of 2019 in University Park. Designed by HOK, the six-story, 194,100-sf (109,100-asf) facility houses classrooms, conference rooms, collaboration spaces, instrumentation suites, a student commons, a 150-seat auditorium, and open labs arranged in neighborhoods to promote interaction. Transparent glass walls in interior corridors put science on display and integrated magnetic whiteboards encourage students and faculty to share ideas.
EMD Serono’s SagaMORE project—designed to enhance the company’s progressive work culture through employee engagement, well-being, and biophylic design features—demonstrates why human health-centered design is the new frontier in the creation of built environments. The office complex, comprising an existing office building and a recent addition, is the first new and existing building project in the U.S., and only the second in the world, to achieve WELL Gold certification from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).
The University of Massachusetts Amherst opened the $101 million Physical Sciences Building in April of 2019. Designed by Wilson HGA, the 95,000-sf facility can accommodate 20 faculty-led research groups with a total of 130 reconfigurable bench positions. Supporting scientific discovery in organic chemistry, materials science, and condensed matter physics, the building provides open research labs, extensive core support labs, offices, and collaboration areas.
The University of Colorado is building the $61.4 million William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Colorado Springs. Designed by HOK and RTA Architects, the 104,000-sf facility will be the first of its kind to integrate undergraduate and graduate education with clinical practice and research in a sports medicine and performance environment.
Boston University is engaged in a $112 million renovation and expansion of the Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Designed by SmithGroup, the project includes renovation of 53,100 sf of existing space and construction of a seven-story, 41,900-sf addition to provide a 140-seat auditorium, student collaboration areas, classrooms, teaching labs, offices, and clinical space. A new façade will bring natural light into the flexible facility, which will include a café and lounges for students and residents.
BASF opened a 54,000-sf facility at Innovation Campus Shanghai in March of 2019. The $28 million project houses the Automotive Application Center which features a 3D robotic simulator, a state-of-the-art spray booth for electrostatic applications, and a physical testing lab. The sustainably designed structure also accommodates the Process Catalysis Research & Development Center which offers highly specialized testing units for evaluating solid catalyst performance as well as advanced facilities for solids processing.
Virginia Commonwealth University opened the $87 million College of Health Professions in March of 2019 in Richmond. Designed by EYP Architecture and Engineering, the eight-story, 154,000-gsf facility unites nine departments in a sustainably designed structure that is expected to attain LEED Silver certification.
Weber State University is planning to construct the $58 million Noorda Building for Engineering, Applied Science & Technology in Ogden, Utah. Designed by VCBO Architecture, the 143,000-sf facility will house the departments of computer science, engineering technology, professional sales, and electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering. Additionally, four centers will be housed in the collaborative building: the Concept Center, the Center for Technology Outreach, the National Center for Automotive Science & Technology, and the Alan E.
Butler University is building the $49 million Lacy School of Business in Indianapolis. Designed by Goody Clancy and CSO Architects for optimal transparency and connectivity, the four-story, 110,000-sf facility will include an expansive atrium, an innovation commons, a trading room, experiential learning rooms, entrepreneurial suites, and faculty and administrative offices. LEED Silver certification will be sought for the project, which is slated for occupancy in fall of 2019.
The University of Groningen will begin construction in summer of 2019 on the 690,000-sf Feringa Building in the Netherlands. The $285 million facility will provide labs, cleanrooms, lecture halls, classrooms, and offices to support science and engineering programs. Specialized laboratories, located entirely on the north face of the building to mitigate weather conditions, will accommodate research in materials science, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, and astronomy.
