The University of Maryland Eastern Shore opened the Pharmacy and Health Professions Building in April of 2023 in Princess Anne, Md. Designed by Shepley Bulfinch and Ayers Saint Gross, the 120,000-sf facility features state-of-the-art teaching labs and simulation spaces for the School of Pharmacy, as well as accommodating courses in kinesiology, physician assistance, and physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Alamance Community College opened the $19.4 million Biotechnology Center of Excellence in March of 2023 in Graham, N.C. Designed by Clark Nexsen, the 32,000-sf facility provides a large general teaching lab, a cleanroom, seminar and conference rooms, faculty offices, and specialized labs for programs in biotechnology, medical laboratory technology, histotechnology, and agricultural biotechnology.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is constructing the 65,000-sf Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health in New York. Designed by HOK, the project includes the redevelopment of a former nursing residence into a world-class research hub that will drive innovation in genomics, precision imaging, and multiscale disease modeling. The 12-story facility will become the first of its kind within a U.S. medical school when it opens in late 2023.
Stanford University broke ground in March of 2023 on a consolidated home for the Graduate School of Education. Designed by William Rawn Associates and CAW Architects, the project includes the construction of a four-story, 42,700-sf structure and a complete renovation of the three-story, 97,547-sf Education Building. The vibrant 150,000-sf complex will also integrate the existing Barnum Center for Family and Community Partnerships, with a 13,500-sf landscaped courtyard connecting the three buildings.
The United States Air Force Academy is constructing the $58 million Madera Cyber Innovation Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Designed by AECOM, the 49,000-sf building will strategically collocate the academy's Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences, the Air Force's CyberWorx center, and the Department of Homeland Security's Center of Innovation.
Emory University opened the $313 million Health Science Research Building II in March of 2023 in Atlanta. Designed by HOK, the 350,000-sf facility provides world-class research environments for a range of specialties including biomedical engineering, cardiovascular medicine, oncology, inflammation, immunology, and emerging infections.
Western Washington University broke ground in March of 2023 on the $73.6 million Kaiser Borsari Hall in Bellingham. Designed by Perkins&Will, the 54,000-sf structure will accommodate the school's growing programs in computer science, electrical engineering, and energy science and technology. The four-story building will provide active learning classrooms, teaching and research labs, offices, breakout areas, a multicultural student lounge, and a collaborative commons.
Wesleyan University is constructing a four-story, 190,000-sf science building in Middletown, Conn. Designed by Payette, the inclusive and accessible facility will provide 39 research and support labs, 10 classrooms, nine teaching labs, a vivarium, and a greenhouse. A central commons will act as a welcoming destination for informal interaction and study, accompanied by a café, an enclosed courtyard, and a landscaped plaza.
Wake Technical Community College is constructing the $72.4 million General Education Building in Wendell, N.C. Designed by BSA LifeStructures, the 118,000-sf facility will offer active learning classrooms, science labs, a library, an auditorium, tutoring areas, study spaces, and a food service venue. Supporting associate degree programs in engineering, science, and art, the welcoming and inclusive structure will also provide an array of student services including admissions, advising, and financial aid.
New teaching facilities for science and engineering stress flexibility and interdisciplinarity, but how much flexibility is appropriate? Michael Lauber, principal at Ellenzweig in Boston, cites three recent university-level projects at Michigan State University, University of Maine, and Rice University to demonstrate how to achieve varying levels of flexibility with lab infrastructure and casework, and how the floorplan can enable occupants to easily adapt their space to ever-changing pedagogical goals in multiple STEM disciplines.
Southwestern College broke ground in February of 2023 on a $100 million student union in Chula Vista, Calif. Designed by Gensler as the dynamic heart of the campus, the 85,000-sf replacement facility will act as a vibrant nexus where students and faculty can gather, engage, and socialize. Accommodating diverse learning communities and activities, the complex will offer a state-of-the art dining and food service hall, a multipurpose room, a ballroom, a meditation room, and a grab-and-go coffee bar.
Pennsylvania State University opened the $88.2 million Engineering Design and Innovation Building in February of 2023. Designed by Payette and Lamar Johnson Collaborative, the 105,000-gsf facility provides maker spaces, teaching and research labs, two active learning venues, general-purpose classrooms, and faculty and departmental offices. The four-story structure offers multiuse design studios, machine shops, and prototyping and fabrication suites, as well as housing the Factory for Advanced Manufacturing Education Lab and the Bernhard M.
The University of Utah broke ground in February of 2023 on the Applied Sciences Project in Salt Lake City. Designed by EDA, the $93.5 million endeavor includes renovation of 40,700 sf in the historic William Stewart Building and construction of a 100,000-sf teaching and research facility. The integrated complex will feature wet and dry labs where teams of scientists will address the country’s most urgent issues, from energy and climate change to air quality and water management.
The North Carolina State Legislature often receives requests from its representatives for funding to construct new academic buildings at the state universities in their districts. Lately, it’s been all about STEM facilities. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs are predicted to increase faster than other kinds of positions in the 2020s, so some requests represent a legitimate response to the need for STEM graduates. But which universities truly need more space? To help them allocate funding sensibly, the University of North Carolina System Office commissioned a statewide study, using an innovative methodology balancing current utilization, building conditions, and future space needs.
Unity Hall, Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s new five-story, 100,000-sf academic and research building, brings together faculty from robotics, data science, bioinformatics, and computational biology. Highlights of the $80 million building, which opened in January 2022, are the flexibility of the lab spaces, the varied and numerous collaboration zones and spaces, and the standardized size of faculty offices.
