Higher Education

Clemson University’s three-story, 100,000-gsf Life Science Building contains 25 research laboratories, three teaching laboratories, a state-of-the-art Leica Microsystems imaging suite, and a range of high-tech support space. A key component of the University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS), the building is designed for interdisciplinary and collaborative faculty research and teaching focused on emerging pathogens, cancer cures and prevention, microbiology, and food safety.

North Central College is planning to build a $60 million science center in Naperville, Ill. Designed by Chicago-based Holabird & Root, the 125,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide classrooms, teaching laboratories, collaborative research space, and interaction areas for programs in biology, chemistry, and physics. The center will also support instruction in math, computer science, psychology, and business. The project manager is U.S. Equities Realty. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2017.

IBM opened a 21,000-sf commercial technology R&D facility in Nairobi in November of 2013. The lab will house researchers leveraging powerful analytical tools, such as cognitive computing systems, to develop solutions to Africa's unique challenges for energy, healthcare, agriculture, water, transportation, and public safety. The facility is located at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and features a dynamic cloud-enabled computing hub.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy will begin construction in spring of 2014 on a $50 million teaching and research building. The six-story, 213,000-sf facility will house classrooms, study areas, a library, an auditorium, and 30,000 sf of research space. The project team includes architect Cannon Design and construction manager Paric Corp. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2015. 

Clemson University opened the 5,000-sf Clemson Nanomaterials Center in October of 2013. Supporting interdisciplinary nanotechnology research in areas such as superconducting materials and energy generation and storage technologies, the lab provides advanced spectroscopy and microscopy equipment, an electric arc system, and chemical vapor deposition systems.

The new teaching facility for the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University contains all of the components for the first two years of medical school, creating a “home” for the Medical School on a completely new urban campus and supporting an increase in class size from 100 to 120 students. Medical School admissions applications increased from 2,825 in 2010 (when construction commenced) to 4,725 in 2012 (post-occupancy), an increase of 67 percent, and there are 70 applicants for every position. Annual fundraising for medical programs increased 15 percent from 2011 to 2012.

Columbia University Medical Center will begin construction in late 2014 on a new School of Nursing facility. The seven-story, 68,000-sf facility will provide advanced, flexible learning spaces, research suites, an atrium lobby, and event areas. Designed by a joint venture of CO Architects and FXFOWLE Architects, the project will feature a two-floor simulation training center with three clinical teaching skills labs housing 14 exam tables with mannequins and six beds.

The University of Missouri–St. Louis began building the $32 million Science Learning Building on October 29, 2013. Designed by Christner, the four-story, 75,000-sf facility will feature technology-rich teaching labs and a central collaboration atrium. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project and completion is expected in December of 2015. The general contractor is K&S Associates of St. Louis.

Carthage College will begin construction in spring of 2014 on a $45 million upgrade of its science center in Kenosha, Wis. The 70,000-sf Center for Natural and Social Sciences will be renovated and a new 35,000-sf wing will be constructed. Built by Riley Construction, the project will provide collaborative teaching and research space and will feature a two-story glass atrium. Completion is expected in fall of 2015.

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center VANTAGE Laboratory consolidates physically separate research facilities into one shared space in order to optimize collaboration and acceleration of new biological and clinical discoveries. The renovation of 13,300 gsf of underutilized and aged space in the original 1925 Medical Center building in the heart of the medical campus co-locates six existing cores: Genome Technology, BioVU (Vanderbilt’s DNA repository), DNA Resources, DNA Sequencing, Vanderbilt Microarray Shared Resource, and Flow Cytometry.

The New York City College of Technology broke ground on a 365,000-sf academic complex in October of 2013. The eight-story facility will provide laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, clinics, and support spaces to enhance the College’s health and science curriculum in radiology, dental hygiene, nursing, biological sciences, biomedical research, chemistry, restorative dentistry, and vision care.

Dartmouth College is building the $116.5 million Williamson Translational Research Building in Lebanon, N.H. Located on the campus of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the six-story, 165,000-sf facility will provide collaborative research space for the Geisel School of Medicine. The project will house advanced research laboratories, the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, and a pathology lab. The Dartmouth SYNERGY program will also be headquartered in the building.

The University of Nottingham began construction in October of 2013 on the $32 million Centre for Sustainable Chemistry in the United Kingdom. Designed by Fairhursts Design Group and created in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, the 48,000-sf carbon-neutral building will provide research labs, a teaching lab, and instrumentation suites. The facility will be located in the University's Innovation Park and will accommodate 100 investigators.

Vassar College is constructing the $125 million Integrated Science Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The project includes a new 80,000-sf teaching and research building designed by Ennead Architects that will bridge a ravine. Three existing facilities will also be renovated. Supporting programs in earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics, the Integrated Science Center will feature the collaborative Earth and Environment Lab housing two faculty research labs, a shared teaching lab, a cleanroom, a coldroom, and a student-faculty joint use lab.

The $270 million Albert Sherman Center expands and unifies the UMass Medical School’s Worcester campus, doubling its research capacity and supporting the school’s new learner-centered curriculum. The 512,000-sf state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research and education facility fosters interaction and collaboration among scientists and promotes innovation and synergies across disciplines, bringing together researchers from one research building and several smaller satellite buildings and leased spaces.