Texas A&M University is addressing the rising demand for engineers by transforming a traditional 46-year-old academic building into a state-of-the-art facility, where technology is not just an aid, but a driver. The Zachry Engineering Education Complex, on the College Station campus, is the cornerstone of Texas A&M’s ambitious “25 by 25” initiative—a plan to enroll 25,000 engineering students by 2025.
Eastern Michigan University is engaged in a $40 million renovation of Sill Hall in Ypsilanti. Featuring highly adaptable infrastructure for optimal flexibility, the $40 million project will create sophisticated laboratories and experiential learning environments for the College of Engineering and Technology.
Imagine a baby born today. She’s smart and science-minded. Through good luck and hard work, she earns her doctorate early, and by age 31, she is solidly embarked on a research career. What does her lab look like? That’s what two SmithGroup thought leaders—Adam Denmark, director of Laboratory Planning, and Steve Palumbo, Science and Technology Studio leader—sought to find out with their team members though a yearlong research initiative they called LAB2050. Collectively, the SmithGroup team and their client advisors defined six categories that they used to project current trends forward—technology, funding and partnerships, energy and the environment, collaboration, synergies, and planning and design—and to visualize the new ones that might emerge.
Butler University will begin construction in summer of 2019 on a $100 million renovation and expansion project to upgrade its science facilities in Indianapolis. The first phase of construction comprises a connecting structure joining the Holcomb building to Gallahue Hall.
Hackensack Meridian Health opened the Center for Discovery and Innovation in May of 2019 in Nutley, N.J. Located on the ON3 campus adjacent to Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, the 250,000-sf translational research facility will accelerate the creation of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, dementia, antibiotic-resistant infections, and autoimmune disorders. The center houses the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Institute for Multiple Myeloma, and the Institute for Cancer and Infectious Disease.
The University of Colorado broke ground in June of 2019 on a $45 million business and engineering expansion in Boulder. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale to break down traditional disciplinary boundaries and foster cross-functional student competencies, the 75,000-sf project includes the creation of an addition linking the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the College of Business.
The University of Strathclyde is building the £60 million Learning & Teaching Building in Glasgow in the United Kingdom. Designed by BDP to support innovative pedagogies, the flexible academic hub will provide 150-person collaborative classrooms, a learning village for individual study, student-facing support services, and space for the University of Strathclyde Students’ Association. The 215,000-sf project will incorporate two existing buildings and is slated for occupancy in fall of 2020.
Pennsylvania State University began construction in April of 2019 on the Donald P. Bellisario Media Center in University Park. Designed by Studios Architecture, the $43.5 million project includes the renovation of four floors in the existing Willard Building, which was originally built in 1949. Accommodating programs for the Bellisario College of Communications, the 63,131-sf media hub will feature open environments to encourage collaboration and creativity.
The Center for Active Design will release Fitwel v2.1 in June of 2019. Promoting the creation of facilities that optimize health, Fitwel was developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Center for Active Design acting as its licensed operator. The updated version of Fitwel includes a new construction pathway for pre-occupancy and post-occupancy projects and now provides both a Design Certification and a Built Certification. Existing facilities will continue to be eligible for certification in the Built category.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst opened the $101 million Physical Sciences Building in April of 2019. Designed by Wilson HGA, the 95,000-sf facility can accommodate 20 faculty-led research groups with a total of 130 reconfigurable bench positions. Supporting scientific discovery in organic chemistry, materials science, and condensed matter physics, the building provides open research labs, extensive core support labs, offices, and collaboration areas.
Miami University and The Pennsylvania State University have transformed outdated buildings into modern STEM teaching and research centers while maintaining some of each building’s historic aspects. The projects aim to replace siloed labs, dark corridors, and dated HVAC systems with collaborative research facilities and up-to-date mechanicals, recapturing wasted space to provide areas where students can gather. Swing space for affected occupants was crucial—Miami University’s Pearson Hall remained partially occupied during construction, while Penn State’s Steidle Building was vacated—as was clear and frequent communication with faculty and other building users. Both projects required fairly complex phasing.
When Texas A&M created a new set of buildings for its veterinary school, it sought to provide spaces that would work for current methods of teaching sciences, but also flexibility to accommodate future change. Change, as we all know, can be difficult, so the process included not just demountable walls and flexible furnishings, but also a focus on change management among the faculty.
Rice University is planning to renovate a former Sears building in Houston to create a 270,000-sf innovation center called The Ion. Providing event spaces, meeting rooms, and business incubation suites, the collaborative facility will support data science research initiatives and the development of new digital technologies. The complex, which will include dining and entertainment amenities, will host public programs including entrepreneurial workshops, networking sessions, training courses, and industry lectures.
Johns Hopkins University is planning to create an interdisciplinary academic hub on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Designed by Ennead Architects with SmithGroup as architect of record, the project includes the transformation of the former Newseum facility to provide a home for the School of Advanced International Studies, as well as offering space for the Carey Business School, the School of Nursing, and the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
Masonic Medical Research Institute is constructing a large-animal research facility in its existing building in Utica, N.Y. The $15 million project includes the renovation of a 5,500-sf basement to provide lab space for five investigators and a procedural suite for studies on pigs, sheep, goats, and rabbits. The investment will also support the recruitment of up to 30 new employees.
