Energy Use Reduction

Florida State University dedicated the $65 million Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science building in February of 2020 in Tallahassee. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the eight-story, 130,500-sf facility collocates departmental space previously scattered in eight disparate locations. The building provides 23 research labs, eight teaching labs, a 100-seat active-learning classroom, a 280-seat auditorium, a meteorology broadcasting studio, a seismometer suite, student lounges, and a rooftop terrace.

Radford University opened the Artis College of Science and Technology in February of 2020 in Radford, Va. Designed and engineered by CannonDesign, the $34 million project included a complete renovation of Reed Hall and Curie Hall, as well as construction of the connecting Center for the Sciences, a two-story collaboration hub offering meeting rooms, a commons area, study spaces, and offices.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is planning to construct the $78.5 million Science and Engineering Complex. Designed by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, the 145,784-sf multidisciplinary facility will house interactive research labs, technology-rich classrooms, faculty and staff offices, and multiple collaboration rooms for team learning. The first phase of the project will create a $64.5 million, 115,000-sf structure accommodating the Department of Biology, the Department of Physics, and lab and support space for the Department of Chemistry.

Merck KGaA broke ground in early 2020 on the $275 Biotech Development Center in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. Constructed adjacent to the company's existing commercial manufacturing campus, the 169,000-sf project will provide advanced research, development, and production facilities to support the creation of innovative biological compounds for clinical studies.

The University of British Columbia opened the renovated and expanded Life Science Teaching Laboratories in January of 2020 in Vancouver. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and HDR, the interdisciplinary complex provides active learning environments, classrooms, study spaces, faculty offices, and state-of-the-art teaching and research labs.

The use of software to aid in master planning is nothing new. At Payette, however, designers and engineers have collaborated to create new software tools to solve master planning issues as they emerge. “We have a range of really complex problems,” explains Jeffrey DeGregorio, a principal at Payette. “Because they’re part of these large-scale master plans, we need to represent them very clearly to be able to tell a story. I think Payette occupies this complicated little niche—complex organizations, complicated campuses.”

The University of Connecticut is planning to construct the $240 million Science 1 building in Storrs. Housing the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, the 198,000-sf facility will offer a 240-seat active learning room, specialized research labs, teaching labs, core labs, computational labs, a cleanroom, and faculty and administrative offices.

Southern New Hampshire University opened the 67,000-sf College of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics in January of 2020 in Manchester, N.H. Accommodating STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the three-story building provides flexible teaching labs, collaboration spaces, a drone flight area, a wind tunnel, a 3D printing lab, a wood shop, and suites for robotics, virtual reality, and materials science.

Pennsylvania State University is planning to build the $56.8 million Center for Innovation, Making and Learning in State College. The project will include the demolition of the existing James Building and construction of an 85,000-sf facility accommodating maker spaces, workshops, a virtual reality and immersive technology lab, lecture venues, and co-working and collaboration areas.

Emory University Hospital is constructing the $475 million Winship at Midtown in Atlanta. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration with May Architecture + Interiors, the 17-story, 450,000-sf facility will provide the Winship Cancer Institute with integrated research and clinical spaces for the delivery of innovative personalized therapies.

Trinity College Dublin will begin construction in mid-2020 on the Martin Naughton E3 Learning Foundry in Ireland. Supporting a project-based pedagogy for STEM education, the $67 million interdisciplinary facility will offer interactive learning spaces and laboratories for the Engineering, Environment and Emerging Technologies Institute. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios to promote collaboration and innovation, the six-story, 78,102-sf building will be shared by the schools of engineering, natural sciences, and computer science and statistics.

Cañada College is constructing the $88 million Kinesiology and Wellness Building in Redwood City, Calif. Designed by ELS Architecture and Urban Design, the 105,000-sf facility will include 25,685 sf of academic space for the Athletics, Kinesiology and Dance Department. The building will provide classrooms, studios, faculty offices, two swimming pools, a competition gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts, and a community enterprise fitness center that is accessible to the public.

Industrial gas manufacturer Air Products is constructing its $400 million global headquarters in Lehigh Valley, Pa. Accommodating over 2,000 employees, the complex will provide a 525,000-sf administrative building, a world-class R&D center, and an enclosed parking structure. Designed to maximize the efficiency of the site, the nine-story office facility will occupy a smaller building footprint than Air Product's existing corporate headquarters.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is constructing an $80 million academic and research facility in Worcester, Mass. Designed by Gensler, the 100,000-sf building will provide interactive spaces for project-based education including flexible learning environments and innovation labs for collaborative development with industry and government partners.

Highline College opened the $30 million Health and Life Sciences Building in January of 2020 in Des Moines. Designed by McGranahan Architects, the 46,000-sf facility offers flexible learning environments including classrooms, labs, faculty offices, and study spaces. Supporting a pedagogy of team-based care, the project collocates all the college’s health professions programs in a single location to enhance collaborative learning.