Engineering

GE Aviation broke ground in June of 2021 on an advanced manufacturing center in Beavercreek, Ohio. Sited on 53 acres in the Miami Valley Research Park, the 280,000-sf structure will enable the development and production of gas turbine engine components and mechanical systems for a variety of industries, including aviation, space, defense, oil, and gas. Integrating high-performance glazing and insulated concrete wall panels, the steel-framed facility will leverage lean manufacturing technologies to optimize efficiency and reduce waste.

Lord Fairfax Community College is constructing the $30 million Hazel Hall in Warrenton, Va. Designed by Grimm + Parker, the 40,000-sf facility will provide multifunctional learning environments for programs in science, engineering, and health professions. The two-story structure will include a nursing skills lab, simulation suites, science labs, engineering and fabrication labs, classrooms, study areas, faculty offices, and a flexible 275-seat conference venue. Existing classrooms and labs in Wolk Hall will also be renovated.

The University of Illinois at Chicago broke ground in July of 2021 on the $118 million Computer Design Research and Learning Center. Designed by LMN Architects and Booth Hansen to enhance interaction and intellectual exchange, the 135,000-sf facility will provide 35 research labs, 15 classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, an auditorium, and a flexible event venue. The inviting structure will act as a new hub of campus activity with a five-story daylit atrium and an undergraduate learning and community center.

Pennsylvania State University broke ground in July of 2021 on the West 1 engineering building in University Park. Located on the West Campus, the 290,000-gsf facility will provide general-purpose classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, and research and teaching labs for programs in aerospace engineering, architectural engineering, acoustics, and civil and environmental engineering. Strategically grouping research programs by theme will dramatically increase the utilization of shared spaces.

General Motors is planning to construct a $71 million R&D campus in Pasadena, Calif. Replacing an existing facility in North Hollywood, the 149,000-sf complex will provide GM's Advanced Design Center with multidisciplinary engineering labs for the discovery of new mobility solutions. The collaborative research center will provide the latest tools, equipment, and workspaces that have been tactically designed to foster synergy and ideation, including:

Northeastern University is constructing the 350,000-sf EXP building in Boston. Complementing the adjacent Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, the highly collaborative facility will provide active learning environments, teaching and research labs, a maker space, undergraduate chemistry labs, executive offices, a café, and a faculty club. Housing the Institute for Experiential Robotics and the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things, the eight-story structure will accelerate the development of advanced humanoid robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles.

With its Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation, Santa Clara University has bridged the stark divide between the entrepreneurial mindset of its Silicon Valley neighbors and the steadfastness typically found in academia. Colleges and universities frequently borrow ideas from, and sometimes consult with, the companies they hope will hire their graduates. Santa Clara took it one step further by involving the corporate donor in every phase of the design. The result is a facility—featuring student-driven project spaces, interconnected and accessible faculty work areas, and collaborative teaching and research environments—that represents the expectation of Silicon Valley for its graduates to be ready to work across disciplines and on integrated teams.

The University of Arizona broke ground in June of 2021 on the $85 million Applied Research Building in Tucson. Collocating investigators from four colleges and eight departments, the three-story, 89,000-sf structure will offer sophisticated laboratories for engineering, applied physical sciences, and advanced manufacturing.

Hofstra University broke ground in June of 2021 on the $75 million Science and Innovation Center in Hempstead, N.Y. Designed by HLW, the 75,000-sf facility will feature technology-rich labs and classrooms for the DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science. The project will also provide the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies with advanced learning environments for interprofessional education including state-of-the-art simulation suites and clinical teaching labs.

Harvey Mudd College recently completed the $30 million McGregor Computer Science Center in Claremont, Calif. Designed by Steinberg Hart, the three-story, 36,000-sf facility collocates the department of computer science with a campus-wide maker space to create a vibrant hub for project-based learning. An expansive lobby with integrated study and interaction areas creates a welcoming hub for multidisciplinary discovery.

Carnegie Mellon University is constructing a $75 million replacement facility for the Alan Magee Scaife Hall of Engineering in Pittsburg. More than doubling the size of the original building, the 120,000-sf structure will provide technology-rich research labs, flexible classrooms, and spaces for formal and informal collaboration.

Caltech is planning to break ground in April of 2022 on the $100 million Resnick Sustainability Resource Center in Pasadena. Designed by the Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, the 80,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide sophisticated laboratory environments for research programs in climate science, ecology, biosphere engineering, energy, biofuels, decomposable plastics, solar science, and water and environmental resources.

Harvard University completed construction on the $1 billion Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) in Boston in spring of 2021. Sited adjacent to Harvard's enterprise campus in Allston, the eight-story, 544,000-sf project was designed by Behnisch Architekten as a living laboratory for interdisciplinary research, learning, and innovation. Housing the John A.

Indiana Tech broke ground in May of 2021 on a $21.5 million expansion and renovation of Zollner Engineering Center in Fort Wayne. The first phase of the project comprises a 30,000-sf addition that will open in fall of 2022. Renovation of the existing 40,000-sf structure will begin in May of 2022 with occupancy expected in fall of 2023. Classrooms and labs in the center will remain open throughout the project. Academic and research activities will be relocated into the addition to enable the renovation to proceed. 

The University of Southern California broke ground in May of 2021 on the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall in Los Angeles. Located on the University Park campus, the 116,000-sf facility will accommodate the Viterbi School of Engineering’s programs in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, cryptography, internet technology, health computing, software development, and computer graphics.