Higher Education

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.

Texas Tech opened the $14.3 million Bayer Plant Science building in October of 2015 in Lubbock, Texas. Accommodating programs for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the 21,000-sf facility provides open teaching and research labs, 11 faculty offices, 22 graduate student spaces, conference rooms, and support. The project was funded in part by Bayer CropScience and features specialized areas for plant and soil science classes as well as a courtyard for outdoor learning.

The National University of Ireland celebrated the opening of a $22 million biomedical research facility at University Hospital Galway in late September of 2015. Housing the Lamb Institute for Translational Research and the Health Research Board's Clinical Research Facility, the five-story, 57,500-gsf project features open, flexible laboratories designed to promote interaction and collaboration. Construction began on the facility in fall of 2013. The general contractor for the project was BAM Construction. 

The renewed emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education has forced colleges and universities to develop more project-based learning spaces, but critical details need to be addressed in order to maximize the success of the five basic lab types found in great STEM facilities, according to architects with EYP Architecture & Engineering.

George Washington University’s new Science and Engineering Hall (SEH) accommodates interdisciplinary collaboration with wet and dry research and teaching labs, and specialized spaces that include a microscopy center, a Class 100 nanofabrication facility, a three-story high-bay laboratory, electrical and machine shops, cold rooms, and cleanrooms. A multi-use auditorium and a media center can be used to host national science symposia and conferences.

The University of Massachusetts broke ground on the $52 million Design Building in October of 2015 in Amherst. The 87,200-sf project will house the Department of Architecture as well as accommodating programs in building construction technology, landscape architecture, and regional planning. Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates of Boston, the four-story facility will provide classrooms, research areas, materials testing labs, studios, offices, conference rooms, lounges, and a café.

Framingham State University, part of the University of Massachusetts system, has added 58,000 sf of new laboratory space to the Hemenway science complex in the middle of campus. Hemenway Laboratories, a five-story addition with a basement mechanical level, houses 16 teaching labs serving organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry; food science; and the biological sciences of human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, intro biology, comparative anatomy, ecology/ornithology, biomarine organisms, zoology, and cell biology/genetics.

Indiana University School of Medicine broke ground in October of 2015 on a $61.2 million facility in Evansville. The 145,000-gsf building is being created in collaboration with the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville, and will possibly also provide space for Ivy Tech Community College. The project will include classrooms, simulation space, and laboratories for teaching and research. Completion is expected in late 2017.

Harvard University is planning to build the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Allston, Mass. Designed by Behnisch Architekten, the six-story, 586,000-sf building will feature a central atrium rising from the basement level offering sophisticated interaction space for faculty, students, and staff. The facility will provide classrooms, open teaching spaces, conference rooms, as well as areas for exhibits, retail, and dining.

The University of Texas at Dallas broke ground in October of 2015 on the $33 million Brain Performance Institute. Designed by Page Southerland Page, the three-story, 62,000-sf facility will provide clinical areas, brain training rooms, advanced imaging suites, a virtual reality lab, classrooms, and event space. The Brain Performance Institute is affiliated with UT’s Center for BrainHealth and the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Occupancy is expected in spring of 2017.

The University of Kansas is building the $82 million Earth, Energy and Environment Center in Lawrence. Featuring laboratories for isotope analysis, 3D visualization, and computing, the multidisciplinary complex will accommodate programs in geology, nanoscience, physics, chemistry, and chemical and petroleum engineering. The 130,000-sf center will also provide a 30-seat mediated synchronous collaboration lab and conference room, a 150-seat auditorium, and a 10-workstation suite for industry and academic partners.

Montclair State University dedicated the $55 million Center for Environmental and Life Sciences in October of 2015 in Montclair, N.J. Providing seven interdisciplinary research suites and six core labs, the five-story, 107,500-sf facility houses the Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, the Passaic River Institute, and the PSE&G Institute for Sustainability Studies. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the center offers classrooms, offices, seminar rooms, a 100-seat lecture hall, and a microscopy suite.