Higher Education

The University of Waterloo is building a 45,000-sf digital media facility on its Stratford campus. Designed by ZAS Architects and built by Bondfield Construction, the three-story, $13.5 million facility will house media labs, project rooms, collaboration spaces, administrative offices, and an auditorium. Construction began in May of 2011 with completion expected in July of 2012. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. 

Fayetteville State University broke ground in August of 2011 on the $18 million Science and Technology Building in Fayetteville, N.C. The facility was designed by Heery International and Anshen + Allen, a part of Stantec. Supporting instruction in mathematics, computer science, chemistry, physics, and forensics, the four-story, 62,000-sf facility includes an office wing, a laboratory and classroom wing, and a central collaboration space. The construction manager is Rentenbach Constructors.

Bluegrass Community and Technical College broke ground in August of 2011 on the first building on its new campus in Lexington, Ky. The $28.3 million facility is expected to reach completion in spring of 2013. The four-story, 92,240-sf project will support education in programs including computer information technology.

The University of Illinois at Chicago opened the newly renovated College of Business Administration in August of 2011. The $11.7 million project created classrooms, open labs, conference rooms, administrative offices, and collaboration hubs in the existing Douglas Hall. The 24,000-sf facility supports experiential learning with advanced technology and specialized learning environments, including a market training lab. The renovation was designed by The Architects Enterprise. Construction began on the project in June of 2010.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington will begin construction in fall of 2011 on the $30 million Marine Biotechnology Center of North Carolina (MARBIONC). The 69,000-sf project will focus on the application of marine biotechnology to food, health, and energy. The facility will house 12 labs, offices, meeting rooms, and research space for industry partners.

The Alabama Robotics Technology Park opened the $8.3 million Advanced Research and Technology Center in August of 2011 in Decatur, Ala. Created in partnership with Calhoun Community College, the 30,000-sf facility provides robotics research, development, and testing space. General contractor EMJ Corporation began building the facility in June of 2010. The project represents the second phase of construction at the site, which also houses the 68,000-sf Robotic Maintenance and Training Center.

The North Highland College completed the $14.8 million Engineering Technology and Energy Centre (ETEC) in July of 2011 in Thurso, Scotland. The facility was built by Morrison Construction and features advanced classrooms, workshops, and training rooms. ETEC will produce skilled personnel to support the needs of the energy industry. The North Highland College is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). 

Tarrant County College opened the $185 million Trinity River East Campus in August of 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. The 148,000-sf facility features a sunken plaza with a waterway sited below street level, providing students with access to downtown amenities without crossing surface streets. Designed by Bing Thom Architects of Vancouver, B.C., the Trinity River East Campus provides classrooms, simulation suites, and a 110-seat auditorium for health science education and training.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee broke ground on Innovation Park in August of 2011. Located in Wauwatosa, the 80-acre site represents a total capital investment of $500 million. Construction will begin in 2012 on the first facility at Innovation Park, a 25,000-sf business accelerator. A construction start date for the second $75 million building has not yet been set.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) has selected e-Builder Enterprise as their university-wide capital project management platform. e-Builder will provide SMU with a way to reduce cost and schedule risk across their entire capital program and streamline existing processes to increase efficiency.

Montana State University dedicated the Eastern Agricultural Research Center and Extension building in Sidney in July of 2011. Ground was broken on the $3.2 million facility in July of 2010. The building houses three research labs, two greenhouses, offices, and a 150-seat conference room. The general contractor for the 12,000-sf project was Fisher Construction. The facility will support crop science and agribusiness research and education.

Saint Mary Mercy Hospital is building the $89 million South Pavilion in Livonia, Mich. The three-story, 154,000-sf project will house inpatient rooms, graduate medical education classrooms, a behavioral medicine treatment suite, imaging, a conference room, and a 45,000-sf emergency department with 55 treatment rooms. Occupancy is expected in October of 2012. The South Pavilion was designed by Hobbs + Black Architects and is being built by Granger Construction Company.

Louisiana State University completed the $10.17 million Multipurpose Academic Center in Alexandria in August of 2011. The 70,000-sf facility provides 58 faculty offices, 17 technology-rich classrooms, a conference room, two computer labs, art and music studios, a 175-seat theater, and four departmental office suites.

Valdosta State University initiated a $5.5 million expansion of Bailey Science Center in August of 2011. The 15,000-sf addition will house two flexible 75-seat laboratories, 20 faculty offices, and two 30-seat classrooms. The project supports a pedagogy that provides a larger number of students with core science courses, maximizing available personnel to generate cost savings. The project team includes architect Stanley Beaman and Sears and general contractor Elkins Constructors. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2012.

Florida Atlantic University attained LEED Platinum sustainable design certification in August of 2011 for the new College of Engineering and Computer Science Building. Located in Boca Raton, the five-story, 97,000-sf facility houses classrooms and advanced laboratories for research, computer design, and instrumentation. The building includes chilled beam technology, geothermal wells, heat exchangers, lighting controls, and solar water heating. The project architect was Schwab, Twitty & Hanser with James A.