Sustainability

Indiana University Bloomington broke ground in January of 2016 on the $12 million Paul H. O'Neill Graduate Center at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Designed by BSA LifeStructures, the three-story, 28,000-sf facility will support graduate programs in public affairs, environmental management, and environmental science. The project will feature technology-rich learning and meeting spaces, three student commons areas, and faculty offices. Completion is expected in early 2017.

The University of Toronto opened the $52.7 million Environmental Science and Chemistry Building in January of 2016. Located on the Scarborough campus in Toronto, the 110,000-sf facility was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and delivered with design-build construction partner EllisDon. Providing flexible teaching and research space for the study of climate change and environmental science, the five-story collaborative building houses classrooms, laboratories, and academic offices connected by a skylit forum and crossroads.

VU University Medical Center will begin construction in March of 2016 on the 172,222-sf VUmc Imaging Center Amsterdam. Providing flexible laboratories for biomedical research, the six-story facility will promote interaction and collaboration by collocating the hospital's radiology and nuclear medicine departments in a single location. The sustainably designed project will be constructed to attain a BREEAM Very Good rating by a joint venture of De Beeldbouwers VOF and Ballast Nedam.

Legacy Health opened its $27 million headquarters and central laboratory facility in January of 2016 in Portland, Ore. The 62,000-sf building was sustainably designed to provide substantial energy savings and increased operational efficiencies. The project doubles the footprint of Legacy's previous location and will enable the company to expand to meet the growing demand for laboratory services.

The University of Wyoming opened the $50 million Michael B. Enzi STEM Facility in Laramie in January of 2016. Designed to promote team-based, interactive learning, the 107,000-sf building features studio-style classrooms and an atrium commons area. The three-story facility provides 32 teaching labs for instruction in chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics, mathematics, life sciences, and computer science. The building also houses an atmospheric sciences lab to support collaborative research with the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center in Cheyenne.

Bellevue College opened its $21.8 million Health Sciences Building in December of 2015 in Bellevue, Wash. Designed by LMN Architects and built by Bayley Construction, the 70,500-sf facility provides classrooms and teaching labs for programs in imaging and nursing, as well as academic and administrative offices. The Health Sciences Building features a five-room simulation training lab and two clinical skills labs with a total of 20 hospital beds.

OncoSec Medical Incorporated, a company developing DNA-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, opened its new headquarters and research facility in San Diego in December of 2015. Consolidating three previous offices, the 34,000-sf project houses over 50 employees and all of OncoSec's discovery research, clinical, and administrative activities under one roof. The facility features approximately 15,000 sf of technology-rich lab space that is strategically arranged to optimize workflow and minimize potential disruptions.

The University of Central Arkansas is building the Conway Corporation Center for Sciences in Conway, Ark. Designed by Stuck Associates and WER Architects/Planners, the project includes renovation of the Lewis Science Center and construction of a three-story, 50,000-sf addition at a cost of $17.5 million. Research Facilities Design (RFD) is providing laboratory programming and design services for the facility, which will feature flexible labs and classrooms to support emerging pedagogies.

Mote Marine Laboratory will begin construction in January of 2016 on a new research and education facility in Sarasota, Fla. Designed by Hall Architects, the building will accommodate the study of ocean and coastal ecosystems and the impact of climate change. The project will provide technology-rich laboratories, environmental rooms, seawater systems, experimental tanks, classrooms, offices, and conference rooms.

The University of Washington is planning to build the Nanoengineering & Sciences Building in Seattle. Designed by ZGF, the 78,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide approximately 43,000 ASF of research space for the departments of bioengineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and materials sciences.

Swarthmore College will begin construction in spring of 2017 on the $120 million Biology, Engineering, and Psychology Building (BEP) in Swarthmore, Pa. The facility will be developed according to the College’s Environmental Sustainability Framework, a standard equivalent to LEED Platinum, with some elements exceeding LEED Platinum criteria. The project will utilize sophisticated energy modeling technologies to optimize post-occupancy performance and will include an extensive geothermal system. Completion is expected in August of 2020.

San Diego State University broke ground on the $90 million Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex in November of 2015. Designed by AC Martin to promote interaction and collaboration, the five-story, 85,000-sf facility will provide 11,500 sf of instructional space, 17 multidisciplinary labs with advanced instrumentation, and an entrepreneurship innovation center.

The Department of Energy opened the $143 million Wang Hall at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in November of 2015. The 149,000-sf facility will house the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and the Computational Research Division as well as providing a center of operations for the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet).

Dow Chemical Company will begin construction in late 2015 on the 145,300-sf Middle East Research and Development Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Designed to attain LEED Silver sustainable design certification, the facility will feature laboratories for the creation of advanced technologies for water, oil, and gas processing as well as the development of innovative construction materials and coatings.

The University of Massachusetts broke ground on the $52 million Design Building in October of 2015 in Amherst. The 87,200-sf project will house the Department of Architecture as well as accommodating programs in building construction technology, landscape architecture, and regional planning. Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates of Boston, the four-story facility will provide classrooms, research areas, materials testing labs, studios, offices, conference rooms, lounges, and a café.