George Mason University’s Exploratory Hall Science Building is the culmination of a five-story, 100,600-gsf renovation of the former Science + Technology II building, and a 64,000-gsf, four-story addition that connects to Planetary Hall. The renovated structure houses computational and dry laboratories; computer classrooms for GIS, computational science, and mathematics; lecture halls; and gathering spaces.
The University of Maine dedicated the $13.8 million Harold Alfond W2 Ocean Engineering Laboratory in Orono in November of 2015. Supporting the prototyping and testing of coastal, offshore, and underwater structures such as turbines, platforms, and ships, the project features a wave pool with a rotating wind machine capable of replicating hurricane conditions. The facility is located in the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, where a research and development lab for the study of thermoplastic materials is also being constructed.
Minnesota State University is constructing a $26 million clinical sciences building in Mankato. Designed to promote the collaborative delivery of team-based care, the 59,000-sf facility will consolidate programs in nursing and dental hygiene as well as speech, hearing, and rehabilitation services. The three-story building will provide classrooms, labs, offices, study areas, clinical space, observation rooms, and a model apartment. The general contractor for the project is Shaw-Lundquist. Completion is expected in late October of 2016.
Sacramento State University is planning to build the $91 million Science II facility in Sacramento, Calif. Providing advanced teaching labs and classrooms for programs in biology and chemistry, the design-build project will include faculty and student research space as well as areas for informal collaboration. Groundbreaking is expected in spring of 2017. The existing home of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Sequoia Hall, will also be renovated to provide updated laboratories.
Suffolk University’s new 110,000-sf, 10-story academic building, 20 Somerset Street, contains four floors of general classroom space topped by four floors of lab space—1,100 classroom seats in all—in addition to a first-floor, 200-seat cafeteria that doubles as a function room. In the middle is a floor dedicated to student support services, including computer labs and a learning center. The building houses the university’s physics, chemistry, and biology departments, as well as the journalism and communications department and faculty offices.
Texas Southern University opened the Interdisciplinary Health Professions Practice and Simulation Complex in Houston in October of 2015. Providing classrooms and labs for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the technology-rich facility features the 20,000-sf Health Professions Simulation Center, which includes training suites for all major hospital functions including a pharmacy, a nursing unit, a clinical lab, a respiratory therapy room, and medical records department.
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.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will begin construction in January of 2016 on the $28 million Advanced Aerodynamics Laboratory and Wind Tunnel in Daytona Beach, Fla. Located at the school's research park, the 50,000-sf project will support collaborative R&D with industry partners in areas including aviation, engineering, unmanned systems, and advanced materials.
Purdue University broke ground in November of 2015 on two facilities for the Department of Animal Sciences in West Lafayette, Ind. The three-story, 90,000-sf Hobart and Russell Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences will provide research laboratories, classrooms designed for interactive and team-based learning, conference rooms for extension activities, and open spaces to facilitate faculty and student interactions.
An explosion in computation and large data set analyses is challenging the nature and processes of translational research, significantly impacting how such institutions plan for space needs. The link between strategic planning, programming, and design is much more dynamic, and requires faster feedback and the development of new metrics to drive value creation through strategic planning.
"That increase in computation has a significant impact on how we strategically plan for translational research,” says Andy Snyder, AIA, principal/architect at NBBJ.
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.
Northern Kentucky University began construction in October of 2015 on the $97 million Health Innovation Center in Highland Heights. Designed by CO Architects of Los Angeles and GBBN Architects of Cincinnati, the 95,500-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide the College of Health Professions with advanced classrooms, laboratories, and offices. The $8 million St. Elizabeth Healthcare Simulation Center will also be located in the building.
UMass Dartmouth broke ground in October of 2015 on a $55 million facility for the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) in New Bedford. Designed by Ellenzweig, the 76,000-sf project will provide collaborative research space for the study of oceanography, climate change, coastal preservation, renewable energy, and commercial fishing methods. Created in partnership with the state Division of Marine Fisheries, the building will feature a seawater research lab and a high bay area.
