Whittier College opened the Science and Learning Center in September of 2016 in Whittier, Calif. Designed by Steinberg Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the $52 million project included a complete renovation of the 89,000-sf Stauffer Science Building to create a collaborative, interdisciplinary facility for STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The College of William & Mary opened the third phase of the Integrated Science Center (ISC3) in September of 2016 in Williamsburg, Va. Accommodating programs in applied science, biology, chemistry, psychology, neuroscience, and computer modeling, the $74 million interdisciplinary facility features 13 chemistry research labs, four teaching labs, instrumentation suites, a computational lab, a biological sciences makerspace, a spectroscopy lab, and a complete machine shop.
Nova Southeastern University opened the $100 million Center for Collaborative Research in September of 2016 in Davie, Fla. Designed by ACAI Associates, the six-story, 215,000-sf facility features wet and dry laboratories, a high-performance computing environment, the AutoNation Institute for Breast and Solid Tumor Cancer Research, the NSU Cell Therapy Institute, and the Institute for Natural and Ocean Sciences Research.
The University of Texas at El Paso is planning to break ground in early 2017 on the $85 million Interdisciplinary Research Building. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 150,000-gsf project will feature collaborative research labs, a vivarium, imaging suites, core labs, a visualization suite, conference rooms, an atrium, an auditorium, and academic and administrative offices.
Designers of undergraduate engineering learning environments must draw from a broad range of solutions to meet the specific pedagogical needs of each institution, beyond the traditional “wet” or “dry” designation of basic science teaching labs. In addition to designing for appropriate equipment scale, strategies include pairing labs and teaching space, providing a variety of maker or innovation spaces, building fewer two-story high-bay areas, and using scaled options for airflow and ventilation.
The University of Michigan is planning to build the $75 million Ford Motor Company Robotics Building on the North Campus in Ann Arbor. Part of the College of Engineering, the four-story, 140,000-sf facility will feature collaborative research and development labs, classrooms, offices, high-bay space, and a fly zone for autonomous aerial vehicles. Ford Motor Company will occupy a laboratory on the top floor of the building and is providing $15 million in funding for the project. Completion is expected in late 2019.
The University of Hawaii broke ground in September of 2016 on the $33.6 million Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy in Hilo. Designed by SmithGroupJJR and WCIT Architecture, the two-story, 45,000-sf instructional facility will provide teaching labs, lecture halls, simulation training suites, and administrative offices. Isemoto Contracting has been awarded the $31.3 million contract for the construction of the pharmacy school and occupancy is expected in late 2018.
Western Carolina University (WCU) is planning to build a $110 million natural sciences building in Cullowhee, N.C. The construction manager for the project, which will be delivered in phases, is Skanska USA. Completion is expected by 2020. Additionally, WCU is engaged in a public-private partnership with Summit Healthcare Group to construct a 30,000-sf medical office complex on the West Campus.
Umpqua Community College opened the 35,000-sf Bonnie J. Ford Health, Nursing and Science Center in September of 2016 in Roseburg, Ore. Designed by Opsis Architecture, the $17 million facility provides laboratories for chemistry, biology, nursing skills, dentistry, and anatomy and physiology. The center also houses classrooms, faculty offices, and conference rooms. General contractor Anderson Construction Company began work on the project in June of 2015.
The expansion of interdisciplinary research to include an engineering component is changing the space model for academic institutions. Science facilities had already broken new ground when they blended various branches of life and physical sciences together under one roof. Adding engineering to the mix has triggered fresh thinking about a host of design standards, ranging from lab-to-lab-support ratios to building organization to the configuration of office and collaboration spaces.
Memorial University is planning to build the CAD$30 million Animal Resource Centre in St. Johns. Replacing two existing buildings, the 30,000-sf facility will support medical research in a variety of areas, including cancer, diabetes, mental health, obesity, stroke mechanisms, and osteoporosis. The project will include vivarium space for animal housing and is supported by CAD$14.4 million in federal funding.
The University of Wyoming will break ground in October of 2016 on the $105 million Engineering Education and Research Building in Laramie. Designed by ZGF for maximum flexibility, the four-story, 100,000-sf facility will feature drop-down utilities and services to create reconfigurable laboratories for collaborative teaching and research.
Auburn University broke ground in September of 2016 on the Gavin Engineering Research Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. The new home for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering will be developed through the complete renovation and expansion of an existing textile building to create an advanced teaching and research complex.
Weber State University opened the $60 million Tracy Hall Science Center in August of 2016 in Ogden, Utah. Designed by VCBO Architects of Salt Lake City, the four-story, 175,000-sf facility offers advanced labs and classrooms as well as housing all eight departments of the College of Science.
The University of Rhode Island opened the $68 million Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences in September of 2016. The four-story, 134,623-sf building provides 14 teaching labs, 18 faculty research labs, a 240-seat lecture hall, classrooms, offices, and the Teknor Apex Instrumentation Lab. The facility also houses the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence for Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response.
