The decreasing amount of time researchers spend in their labs is changing research facility design and space allocation, with an increased need for lab support space, a more significant reliance on core facilities, the creation of additional write-up and data analysis environments, and the purposeful inclusion of collaboration spaces.
Texas Tech University opened the $112.5 million Academic Sciences Building in Lubbock in August of 2024. Enhancing the student experience with new venues for active learning and exchange, the 130,000-sf facility was designed by BGK Architects and EYP Architecture & Engineering (now a Page company). The three-story structure provides teaching and laboratory space for five departments: chemistry and biochemistry, physics and astronomy, biological sciences, geosciences, and psychological sciences.
The University of New Hampshire completed the renovation and expansion of Spaulding Hall in Durham in late July of 2024. Ellenzweig designed the $89 million project to provide the Department of Biological Sciences with state-of-the-art research labs, core facilities, instructional settings, and collaborative learning venues. Slated to achieve LEED certification, the sustainable structure collocates programs in biochemistry, neuroscience, ecology, cell culture, medical laboratory science, and anatomy and physiology.
