Mote Marine Laboratory will begin construction in January of 2016 on a new research and education facility in Sarasota, Fla. Designed by Hall Architects, the building will accommodate the study of ocean and coastal ecosystems and the impact of climate change. The project will provide technology-rich laboratories, environmental rooms, seawater systems, experimental tanks, classrooms, offices, and conference rooms.
The University of Washington is planning to build the Nanoengineering & Sciences Building in Seattle. Designed by ZGF, the 78,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide approximately 43,000 ASF of research space for the departments of bioengineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and materials sciences.
Swarthmore College will begin construction in spring of 2017 on the $120 million Biology, Engineering, and Psychology Building (BEP) in Swarthmore, Pa. The facility will be developed according to the College’s Environmental Sustainability Framework, a standard equivalent to LEED Platinum, with some elements exceeding LEED Platinum criteria. The project will utilize sophisticated energy modeling technologies to optimize post-occupancy performance and will include an extensive geothermal system. Completion is expected in August of 2020.
San Diego State University broke ground on the $90 million Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex in November of 2015. Designed by AC Martin to promote interaction and collaboration, the five-story, 85,000-sf facility will provide 11,500 sf of instructional space, 17 multidisciplinary labs with advanced instrumentation, and an entrepreneurship innovation center.
The Department of Energy opened the $143 million Wang Hall at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in November of 2015. The 149,000-sf facility will house the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and the Computational Research Division as well as providing a center of operations for the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet).
Dow Chemical Company will begin construction in late 2015 on the 145,300-sf Middle East Research and Development Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Designed to attain LEED Silver sustainable design certification, the facility will feature laboratories for the creation of advanced technologies for water, oil, and gas processing as well as the development of innovative construction materials and coatings.
The University of Massachusetts broke ground on the $52 million Design Building in October of 2015 in Amherst. The 87,200-sf project will house the Department of Architecture as well as accommodating programs in building construction technology, landscape architecture, and regional planning. Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates of Boston, the four-story facility will provide classrooms, research areas, materials testing labs, studios, offices, conference rooms, lounges, and a café.
Framingham State University, part of the University of Massachusetts system, has added 58,000 sf of new laboratory space to the Hemenway science complex in the middle of campus. Hemenway Laboratories, a five-story addition with a basement mechanical level, houses 16 teaching labs serving organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry; food science; and the biological sciences of human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, intro biology, comparative anatomy, ecology/ornithology, biomarine organisms, zoology, and cell biology/genetics.
Harvard University is planning to build the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Allston, Mass. Designed by Behnisch Architekten, the six-story, 586,000-sf building will feature a central atrium rising from the basement level offering sophisticated interaction space for faculty, students, and staff. The facility will provide classrooms, open teaching spaces, conference rooms, as well as areas for exhibits, retail, and dining.
Montclair State University dedicated the $55 million Center for Environmental and Life Sciences in October of 2015 in Montclair, N.J. Providing seven interdisciplinary research suites and six core labs, the five-story, 107,500-sf facility houses the Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, the Passaic River Institute, and the PSE&G Institute for Sustainability Studies. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the center offers classrooms, offices, seminar rooms, a 100-seat lecture hall, and a microscopy suite.
Rochester Institute of Technology opened the $15 million Clinical Health Sciences Center in October of 2015 in Henrietta, N.Y. The 45,000-sf facility provides technology-rich lecture rooms, simulation suites, and clinical research space for the College of Health Sciences and Technology. The two-story project also houses the Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition, the Center for Applied Psychophysiology and Self-Regulation, and a primary care clinic operated by Rochester General Health System.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory opened the $59 million Chu Hall in September of 2015. Designed by SmithGroupJJR of San Francisco, the three-story, 39,000-sf facility will support research on electrochemical and photovoltaic solar energy technologies. Chu Hall houses the administrative offices of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute as well as the northern branch of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, a laboratory created in partnership with the California Institute of Technology and funded by the Department of Energy.
In the ever-evolving quest for sustainability, engineers and their clients may find the 2013 updates to ASHRAE 90.1, the energy code that predominantly guides the design of buildings, useful in benchmarking energy efficiency for new or remodeled laboratories and vivaria. Regular review of the code ensures compliance for new projects and offers an opportunity to refine best practices for building envelopes, mechanical systems, lighting, and noise mitigation, say Adam Golubski and Philip Walter of The Clark Enersen Partners.
The Army Institute of Public Health has awarded a $206 million contract to a joint venture of The Walsh Group and Gilbane Building Company for the Public Health Command (PHC) laboratory replacement project. Located on 20 acres at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, the 275,000-sf biomedical research facility will include wet labs, field labs, offices, anechoic chambers, laser labs, a vivarium, an insectary, and a 43,000-gsf central utility plant.
Grand Valley State University dedicated the $55 million P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science in August of 2015 in Allendale, Mich. The four-story, 152,000-sf facility provides 15 teaching labs, 14 research labs, nine classrooms, conference rooms, study areas, a computational lab, and a 3,000-sf greenhouse. Research Facilities Design was the laboratory design consultant for the facility, which features interactive labs supporting a shared functionality in which faculty and students can engage in collaborative projects.
