The University of Memphis is constructing the $41 million STEM Research and Classroom Building to provide leading-edge environments for programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Designed by SmithGroup and A2H, the two-story, 65,000-sf facility will feature labs for advanced manufacturing, biomaterials, cybersecurity, data science, and earthquake engineering.
Cornell University broke ground in October of 2022 on a $100 million facility for the Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science in Ithaca, N.Y. Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the four-story, 133,000-sf structure will collocate the departments of computer science, information science, and statistics and data science in a single unified complex.
The University of Michigan broke ground in October of 2022 on the $145 million Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building in Ann Arbor. Designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, the 164,000-gsf facility will collocate the School of Information and the College of Engineering’s Computer Science and Engineering Division. The technology-rich complex will feature research labs and reconfigurable classrooms for programs in artificial intelligence, machine learning, human-computer interaction, and information privacy and security.
The University of Florida broke ground in October of 2022 on the Bruno E. And Maritza F. Ramos Collaboratory in Gainesville. Designed by Brooks + Scarpa, the $32 million development will add two curving wings to the existing home of the School of Design, Construction and Planning. Featuring a digital modeling and fabrication studio with 3D printers, the 50,000-sf expansion will accommodate interactive research venues, technology-enabled classrooms, seminar rooms, a multipurpose lecture hall, and a virtual design and construction lab.
Considered one of the first and largest university-level makerspace programs in the country, the Bernard M. Gordon Learning Factory on Penn State University’s main campus in State College, Pa., has operated in its original building for more than 30 years with only minimal facility renovations. It will soon relocate to 103,000 sf in one of two new state-of-the-art academic engineering buildings under construction on the campus, a move that the Learning Factory program director says will help the program continue to compete with the growing number of makerspaces being established throughout the academic marketplace. The Learning Factory, which pairs students with more than 100 industry sponsors each year, is scheduled to begin prototyping several classes in the new facility in January 2023, with full occupancy targeted for that summer.
Claremont McKenna College broke ground in October of 2022 on the Robert Day Sciences Center in Claremont, Calif. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the 135,000-sf facility will provide the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences with classrooms, collaboration spaces, teaching and research labs, and faculty offices. The open, light-filled structure will embody the convergence of computational, life, and social sciences by supporting a progressive pedagogy focused on three key areas: Gene, Brain, and Planet.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst broke ground in September of 2022 on a $125 million building for the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences. Designed as a world-class hub for education, discovery, and outreach, the 90,000-gsf facility will provide research labs, interactive classrooms, maker spaces, conference and huddle rooms, and a 240-seat auditorium. The existing computer science building will be physically linked on each floor to the new development by an open, light-filled commons for graduate and undergraduate students.
Kettering University opened the $63 million Learning Commons in September of 2022 in Flint, Mich. Designed by Stantec as a vibrant nexus of interaction and discovery, the 105,000-sf facility provides a digital library, a 15,000-sf maker space, and a 200-seat auditorium with advanced audiovisual capabilities. Connected to the existing Campus Center, the four-story structure features a soaring atrium topped by a skylight that fills the entire interior space with natural light.
The University of Rochester is engaged in a $42 million expansion of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) in Brighton, N.Y. Featuring Class 1000 cleanrooms for target fabrication and thin film coating activities, the 66,000-sf addition will include a laser computing facility, general and wet-bench research venues, and open office environments. The largest lab will house the AMICA laser system, a high-energy, long-pulse laser that is being assembled for Stanford University’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville opened the $55 million Sesquicentennial Hall in September of 2022. Designed by BWBR Architects, the 99,200-sf building provides collaborative learning and research facilities for programs in engineering, computer science, and sustainable and renewable energy systems (SRES).
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories broke ground in September of 2022 on the $500 million Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre at Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario. Featuring mass timber components, the 108,000-sf building will provide state-of-the-art research environments for the development of advanced nuclear technologies. Accommodating 240 employees, the secure structure will house flexible laboratories, administrative offices, and 12 shielded hot cells with accompanying glovebox facilities.
The University of Maine opened the $78 million Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center in August of 2022 in Orono. Designed by Ellenzweig and WBRC to promote experiential learning, the 115,000-sf facility features hands-on teaching labs for programs in mechanical and biomedical engineering. Housing the campus welcome center and a STEM outreach hub, the three-story structure provides capstone project rooms, a collaboration commons, informal meeting areas, conference rooms, and offices for faculty and staff.
Florida Polytechnic University opened the $47 million Applied Research Center in August of 2022 in Lakeland. Designed by HOK, the 90,000-sf facility provides teaching and research labs, student design spaces, conference rooms, faculty offices, and administrative space. Catalyzing entrepreneurship and economic development, the two-story structure will play a pivotal role in expanding academic program offerings and resources to support the university’s growing student population.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)’s new Unity Hall is an academic research building focused on computational-based technologies for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), including robotics, data science, bioinformatics, and computational biology. The five-story, 100,000-sf facility brings together previously dispersed programs to create a centralized location for the university’s Smart World research cluster. In addition to dedicated labs, offices, and meeting spaces, Unity Hall houses shared dry lab and support spaces designed to foster the advanced multidisciplinary collaboration that is the hallmark of 4IR technologies.
The University of Washington will break ground in fall of 2022 on the $102 million Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in Seattle. Designed by KieranTimberlake and McGranahan Architects, the 70,000-sf facility will act as the academic home for all undergraduate engineering students on campus.
