Collaboration

As the landscape for academic institutions grows more competitive, determining how human factors impact the design of STEM facilities is becoming a significant consideration when it comes to attracting students and research faculty. As a result, team members at Francis Cauffman Architects are developing a set of metrics to identify and assess the value of design features that influence occupant experience in academic STEM spaces with the goal of creating an index that can be used to inform future renovation and new construction projects. Human factor points are allocated to spaces and design features that have a demonstrated positive impact on student enrollment, result in high levels of user satisfaction, and accommodate the teaching and research goals of the facility. In a post-COVID world, this additional evaluation tool may be more important than ever.

The University of Tennessee at Martin broke ground on the $65 million Latimer Engineering and Science Building in September of 2020. Designed to foster cross-disciplinary innovation and discovery, the 120,000-sf STEM facility will offer teaching labs, student research labs, and classrooms for the departments of mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, and physics. The three-story structure will also include an entrepreneurship hub and collaborative project areas. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2022.

Bowling Green State University dedicated the $44.2 million Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center in September of 2020 in Bowling Green, Ohio. Designed by The Collaborative and Perkins+Will, the 89,800-sf project included the construction of a 50,000-sf addition and the renovation of Hanna Hall to create a new home for the Schmidthorst College of Business.

Northwest Vista College broke ground on the $34 million STEM Building in September of 2020 in San Antonio. Designed by Overland Partners, the 52,550-sf facility will accommodate innovative programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Offering project-based learning environments and flexible, general-purpose classrooms, the multidisciplinary structure will include teaching labs, tutoring suites, outdoor classrooms, and faculty and administrative offices.

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities opened the $108.6 million Health Sciences Education Center in September of 2020 in Minneapolis. Designed by Perkins+Will and The S/L/A/M Collaborative to accommodate interprofessional education programs, the 202,000-sf facility provides active learning classrooms, a teaching visualization lab, a maker space, study areas, a faculty commons, and a sophisticated library.

Cape Cod Community College broke ground on the $38 million Frank & Maureen Wilkens Science and Engineering Center in August of 2020 in West Barnstable, Mass. The two-story, 37,000-sf STEM facility will feature interactive classrooms, technology-rich labs, a maker space, gathering areas, and flexible multiuse learning venues. Designed as an innovation hub for the creation and commercialization of new technologies, the center will encourage regional economic growth through collaborative training programs with industry partners.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for the research community to respond quickly to changing markets and to understand the value of laboratory spaces that are flexible, adaptable, and scalable. We’ve seen stadiums converted to makeshift hospitals, “drive-through” testing sites pop up in vacant parking lots, and testing laboratories continually ramp up production to expedite results. This quick-thinking behavior has been inspiring to witness but daunting to execute. Laboratories, by nature, are among the most complex building typologies, where the utmost importance is protecting both the health and safety of their occupants and the integrity of the research. The complexities of the resulting design can be challenging to undertake, but when faced with the extreme circumstances of a pandemic, it is possible to expedite the process with a combination of strategies.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington opened the $66 million Veterans Hall in August of 2020. Housing the College of Health and Human Services, the 145,000-sf facility accommodates programs in nursing, social work, allied health, and exercise science.

The University of Nevada, Reno opened the $92 million William N. Pennington Engineering Building in August of 2020. Designed by H+K Architects, the 100,000-sf facility offers dedicated space for the departments of chemical and materials engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. The collaborative four-story building provides 40 labs, a 200-seat classroom, two computer labs, 40 faculty offices, and 150 graduate student workstations.

The University of Washington broke ground in August of 2020 on the $100 million Health Sciences Education Building in Seattle. Designed by Miller Hull Partnership and The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the four-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide active learning classrooms for groups ranging from 16 to 128 students, as well as simulation suites, clinical skills labs, an anatomy lab with integrated virtual technologies, a commons area, study spaces, and a library.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney opened the $30 million Discovery Hall in September of 2020. Offering technology-rich labs and classrooms for experiential learning, the three-story, 90,000-sf facility accommodates STEM programs in mathematics, engineering, physics, astronomy, construction management, industrial distribution, interior design, aviation, computer science, and information technology.

The University of New Haven opened the $35 million Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation in August of 2020 in West Haven, Conn. Designed by Svigals+Partners, the three-story, 45,500-sf facility provides sophisticated science and engineering labs, technology-enabled collaborative classrooms, a maker space, an atrium, video production studios, and an e-sports training and competition hub. LEED Gold sustainable design certification is being sought for the structure, which is expected to use 40 percent less energy than a conventional facility.

The new Fourth and Montgomery building, scheduled to open in January 2021 in downtown Portland, Oregon, is a remarkable example of how pooling financial, intellectual, and physical resources can allow public institutions to accomplish much more by working together than would be possible if attempted separately. The seven-story, $111 million building will be owned and occupied by The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Portland Community College’s Dental Sciences Programs, and Portland State University’s (PSU) College of Education and the PSU | Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) PSU School of Public Health. To simplify the process of working with multiple stakeholders, the project team used an integrated project delivery planning tool called “Choosing by Advantages” (CBA) that helped them manage complex decisions and keep the project on schedule and within budget.

Oklahoma State University is constructing the $50 million North Academic Building in Tulsa. Designed by Dewberry, the collaborative health sciences facility will provide classrooms, labs, conference rooms, study areas, and administrative offices. The structure will also house dedicated anatomy and neuro-anatomy labs, the Center for Rural Health, the Center for Health Systems Innovation, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which will include a sophisticated autopsy lab designed for optimal safety, workflow efficiency, and evidence preservation.

The University of Colorado opened the $61.4 million William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in August of 2020 in Colorado Springs. Designed by HOK and RTA Architects, the 104,600-sf facility integrates undergraduate and graduate education with clinical practice and research in a sports medicine and performance environment.