Collaboration

Swarthmore College is constructing the $120 million Biology, Engineering, and Psychology Building in Swarthmore, Pa. Designed by Ballinger, the 160,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will feature flexible classrooms, labs, and common spaces to support enhanced pedagogical experiences linked to environmental sustainability. The project will be developed according to Swarthmore’s Environmental Sustainability Framework, a standard equivalent to LEED Platinum, with some elements exceeding LEED Platinum criteria.

The University of Illinois at Chicago broke ground in November of 2017 on the Engineering Innovation Building. Housing the departments of chemical engineering, mechanical and industrial engineering, civil engineering, and materials science, the 58,665-gsf (35,335-nsf) facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, student project areas, a high-bay structural research lab, a chemical engineering pilot plant, and offices for faculty and staff.

Towson University broke ground in December of 2017 on the $184 million New Science Complex in Towson, Md. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 316,000-sf facility will provide 50 teaching labs, 30 research labs, 50 classrooms, 10 student collaboration areas, eight lecture halls, and a vivarium. The project will also include an outdoor classroom, a planetarium, an observatory, a museum, a rain garden, and a rooftop greenhouse. The general contractor is Whiting-Turner.

Carilion Clinic is partnering with Virginia Tech on the construction of a $90 million research and teaching facility in Roanoke. Designed by AECOM, the 139,000-sf Virginia Tech Carilion Biomedical Research Expansion will provide collaborative, technology-rich laboratories and experiential learning areas.

The University of California, San Diego is planning to expand the Jacobs College of Engineering with the construction of Franklin Antonio Hall. Supported by a $30 million philanthropic contribution, the 200,000-sf facility will feature eleven collaboratories for team-based research, a 250-seat teaching auditorium, a high-bay lab, multipurpose classrooms, faculty offices, and flexible meeting rooms. Antonio Hall will be built to attain the LEED Platinum sustainable design certification or an equivalent rating. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2021.

Columbia College broke ground in November of 2017 on a $50 million student center in Chicago. Designed by Gensler, the five-story, 114,000-sf project will have transparent atrium spaces located on the perimeter of the building to enhance the visibility of student activities. Providing both structured and informal interaction and learning facilities, the five-story hub will feature analog and digital makerspaces, study lofts, dance studios, a fitness center, dining areas, and an 800-person event space. Completion is expected in early 2019. 

The University of South Australia is constructing the AUD$247 million Health Innovation Building in Adelaide. Located in the Biomed City development, the 310,000-gsf facility will house the Centre for Cancer Biology, the Museum of Discovery, the Innovation and Collaboration Centre, health teaching clinics, a vivarium, and an atrium. Construction began on the 14-story project in 2015 and occupancy is expected in mid-2018.

Saint Vincent College dedicated the $5.8 million James F. Will Engineering and Biomedical Sciences Hall in November of 2017. Designed by MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, the two-story, 11,260-sf facility features the Liberatore Human Anatomy Teaching Laboratory, a technology-rich facility that can accommodate up to six surgical stations in a simulated operating room environment.

Davidson College completed the $74 million Interdisciplinary Science Center in November of 2017 in Davidson, N.C. Designed by Shepley Bulfinch, the project included construction of the two-wing, 135,300-sf E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center and the renovation of the adjoining Martin Laboratory. Housing the departments of biology, chemistry, environmental science, psychology, and neuroscience, the facility offers collaborative teaching and research labs, interactive learning environments, faculty offices, and a central atrium with a 120-seat forum.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center dedicated the $50 million Translational Research Center in November of 2017 in Jackson, Miss. Designed by Flad Architects, the collaborative 124,852-sf building houses the Neuro Institute, the Technology Transfer Office, and the MIND Center, a neurocognitive dementia research facility. Providing both wet and dry laboratories, the center houses business incubator space, conference rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and space for clinical trials.

Boston College is planning to build a $150 million science center in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Housing the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, the 150,000-sf facility will support programs in applied sciences, engineering, design, global public health, and computer and data sciences. Designed to promote innovation, the interdisciplinary building will feature makerspaces, research labs, a cleanroom, a collaboration commons, and technology-rich teaching labs for robotics, computing, and data visualization.

The Chemours Company, a specialty chemical manufacturer, will begin construction in January of 2018 on the $150 million Discovery Hub in Newark, Del. Supporting collaborative research, commercialization, and training initiatives, the four-story, 312,000-sf facility will be located on the University of Delaware’s Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus. The Discovery Hub will provide 100 labs, 20 huddle rooms, 50 specialty rooms, conference spaces, and cafés. Completion is expected in early 2020.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is constructing the $102 million Physical Sciences Building. Designed by Wilson Architects to promote collaboration, the 79,500-gsf facility will accommodate 20 faculty members and 130 bench positions for the departments of physics and chemistry. Comprising two stories above ground and a basement level, the building will provide conference rooms, faculty offices, laboratories, and high bay spaces with vibration mitigation technologies.

The University of California, Riverside is constructing the $150 million Multidisciplinary Research Building 1 (MRB1). Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the five-story, 179,000-sf facility will provide collaborative wet, dry, and computational laboratories to accommodate up to 56 researchers and their teams. The project will include offices, conference rooms, BSL-2 labs, core research space, and a barrier vivarium with animal holding areas, procedure rooms, and support.

The University of Colorado Boulder broke ground in October of 2017 on an $82.5 million aerospace engineering building. Designed by Hord Coplan Macht (HCM) and Ratio Architects, the collaborative 144,000-sf project will provide reconfigurable open research labs, interactive learning spaces, faculty offices, workshops, a 200-seat auditorium, and an indoor flight environment for unmanned aircraft. Whiting-Turner is the general contractor and occupancy is expected in summer of 2019.