Sustainability

Signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment pledge is one thing, but complying with it is quite another. At the University of Pennsylvania, compliance meant renovating the HVAC systems in a 140,000-gsf chemistry research and teaching facility built in 1973. Converting the building’s constant-volume ventilation system, which provided 22 air changes per hour (ACH) 24 hours a day, to a variable-volume system providing 4 to 12 ACH would yield massive energy savings. The catch? Doing it without kicking anyone out.

Loyola University Chicago opened the $137 million Center for Translational Research and Education in April of 2016. Created in partnership with Trinity Health, the five-story, 225,000-sf facility provides teaching and research space for the Stritch School of Medicine, the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, and Loyola University Health System.

The University of Pennsylvania dedicated the $68.6 million Stephen A. Levin Building in April of 2016 in Philadelphia. Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the six-story, 78,000-sf facility accommodates collaborative research in the neural and behavioral sciences. The interdisciplinary project connects two existing structures and houses classrooms, laboratories, offices, study areas, interaction space, and a 170-seat auditorium.

University of Miami Health System is building the $145 million Lennar Foundation Medical Center in Coral Gables, Fla. Designed by Perkins+Will, the five-story, 206,000-sf ambulatory care facility will accommodate specialty medical clinics for the Miller School of Medicine, including the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, as well as offering outpatient surgery, urgent care, radiation oncology, diagnostic imaging, and physical therapy.

Ford Motor Company will begin construction in May of 2016 on a comprehensive redevelopment of its real estate portfolio in Dearborn, Mich. The project will include construction of a 700,000-sf design facility as well as the expansion and renovation of Ford's existing headquarters campus. Designed by SmithGroupJJR to promote collaboration and interaction, the updated buildings will feature open workspaces with unassigned seating.

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is planning to break ground in January of 2018 on a $567 million expansion and renovation of its Washington campus. A new six-story, 477,000-sf pavilion will provide 156 private inpatient rooms, advanced imaging suites, two floors of operating rooms, and an expanded emergency department. Existing hospital facilities will also undergo renovation.

3M opened a $150 million research and development laboratory in March of 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Sited on 10 acres, the collaborative 470,000-sf facility will accommodate up to 750 scientists from across 3M's industries, including electronic materials solutions, safety and graphics, and aerospace and commercial transportation. The four-story laboratory was designed by BWBR Architects and built by Kraus-Anderson Construction.

The University of Idaho is building the $50 million Integrated Research and Innovation Center (IRIC) on its Moscow campus. Featuring flexible laboratories for interdisciplinary research, the collaborative 70,000-sf project will include a state-of-the art visualization suite, offices, conference rooms, and core labs with shared equipment. Ground was broken on the center in August of 2014, and completion is expected in fall of 2016 with occupancy in early 2017. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

A three-story, 69,000-sf addition and 21,000-sf renovation to the Mathias Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center greatly enhance the Institution’s capacity for environmental research in Chesapeake Bay. A two-story atrium connects the old and new sections and creates collaboration space for more than 180 researchers, technicians, and students investigating global climate change, the effects of nutrients/chemicals on the environment, fisheries, biological threats, and wetlands/woodlands protection.

The University of Cambridge is planning to build a $125 million biomedical research facility in the United Kingdom. The six-story, 190,000-sf Project Capella will house the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, the Milner Therapeutics Institute, the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease, and the Cambridge Centre for Haematopoiesis and Haematological Malignancies. Lean construction methodology will be implemented in the delivery of the facility, which is slated for completion in the second quarter of 2018.

Indiana University Bloomington broke ground in January of 2016 on the $12 million Paul H. O'Neill Graduate Center at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Designed by BSA LifeStructures, the three-story, 28,000-sf facility will support graduate programs in public affairs, environmental management, and environmental science. The project will feature technology-rich learning and meeting spaces, three student commons areas, and faculty offices. Completion is expected in early 2017.

The University of Toronto opened the $52.7 million Environmental Science and Chemistry Building in January of 2016. Located on the Scarborough campus in Toronto, the 110,000-sf facility was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and delivered with design-build construction partner EllisDon. Providing flexible teaching and research space for the study of climate change and environmental science, the five-story collaborative building houses classrooms, laboratories, and academic offices connected by a skylit forum and crossroads.

VU University Medical Center will begin construction in March of 2016 on the 172,222-sf VUmc Imaging Center Amsterdam. Providing flexible laboratories for biomedical research, the six-story facility will promote interaction and collaboration by collocating the hospital's radiology and nuclear medicine departments in a single location. The sustainably designed project will be constructed to attain a BREEAM Very Good rating by a joint venture of De Beeldbouwers VOF and Ballast Nedam.

Legacy Health opened its $27 million headquarters and central laboratory facility in January of 2016 in Portland, Ore. The 62,000-sf building was sustainably designed to provide substantial energy savings and increased operational efficiencies. The project doubles the footprint of Legacy's previous location and will enable the company to expand to meet the growing demand for laboratory services.

The University of Wyoming opened the $50 million Michael B. Enzi STEM Facility in Laramie in January of 2016. Designed to promote team-based, interactive learning, the 107,000-sf building features studio-style classrooms and an atrium commons area. The three-story facility provides 32 teaching labs for instruction in chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics, mathematics, life sciences, and computer science. The building also houses an atmospheric sciences lab to support collaborative research with the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center in Cheyenne.