Latest Reports

Responding to the call to reinvent university science instruction, Virginia Tech’s new classroom building is poised to create “a bona fide learning revolution.” Slated for completion in 2016, the 73,400-sf facility will offer flexible, innovative teaching spaces that are “radically different” from anything previously seen on the Blacksburg campus, according to Jill Sible, assistant provost for undergraduate education at the largest producer of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) degrees in the state.

Flexible room configurations, durable finishes and equipment, and highly sensitive airflow control and monitoring can extend the sustainable life of animal facilities and vivaria, where the research and biosecurity needs can change repeatedly over the course of several years. Detailed upfront planning and mockups of proposed spaces contribute to the long-term success and flexibility of these facilities.

A gut renovation of the 1984 organic chemistry lab in the Physical Sciences Building at Bowling Green State University created state-of-the-art teaching environments with $250,000 worth of new instrumentation, casework, stainless steel ductwork, and computer-controlled supply systems. The installation of 12 lab hoods and one ADA-compliant hood, with high-efficiency exhaust and airflow systems, offer students more hands-on, project-based learning opportunities in a safer environment.

Color is the first thing your brain experiences in any environment, because the optic nerve connects the human eye directly to the cerebral cortex. Color has a deep subconscious influence on emotions, and studies have linked positive emotional states to improved decision-making, better memory function, greater job satisfaction, and creative problem solving. As a result, space planners are looking more than ever at how interior design colors influence mood and productivity in offices, labs, and classrooms.

The 55,000-sf James Center for Molecular and Life Sciences at Eckerd College houses biology, chemistry, and biochemistry departments under one roof for the first time, with biology and chemistry offices interspersed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The building contains nine 24-student teaching labs, two classrooms, four faculty-student research spaces, and 14 faculty offices.