Industry News

San Diego City College and Hewlett Packard are developing a $100,000 wireless mobile classroom. The computer lab will house 35 Hewlett Packard notebook computers, a combined printer-scanner-copier-fax machine and a digital camera.

Synygy, an employee benefits compensation programming and software company, has commissioned Syska Hennessy Group to design new mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems as well as the acoustics, audiovisual, telecommunications, and lighting for a new corporate headquarters. The 163,500-sf tenant fit-out projects is being undertaken in the historically significant Chester Station in Chester, Pa. The building is one of the best-preserved and most monumental early power plants in the U.S. dating back to 1917.

Fairfax-based Lorton Arts Foundation has submitted a proposal to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to redevelop the 41.4-acre former Lorton prison site as a community arts, education and cultural center. Centerbrook Architects of Centerbrook, Conn., designed the proposed Lorton Workhouse Arts Center, which would include galleries, event space, offices, artist studios, theatrical and production areas, heritage exhibits, and an outdoor music shed.

Northwestern University is developing Phase One of the Gladys & Arthur Pancoe Life Sciences Pavilion, a new 88,000-sf research facility housing the Center for Experimental Animal Research on the university's Evanston campus. The project will accommodate research for the University and Northwestern Healthcare’s Evanston Hospital. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership of Los Angeles, the four-story building with basement will house flexible research labs, faculty offices, vivarium, auditorium, and a café.

Northwestern University has selected lead architect Davis Brody Bond to design its new 72,000-gsf Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center on the Evanston campus. The project team also includes engineers BR+A of New York and Chris P. Stefanos & Associates of Oak Lawn, Ill., with Tishman Construction Corp. as pre-construction contractor. The $30-million project is slated for completion in spring of 2003.