Higher Education

Generative AI technologies like ChatGPT and DALL-E are expected to dramatically impact the design of science and research facilities by expediting creative ideation, improving process efficiency, and driving scientific innovation. To clear up some of the common misconceptions and learn how facility designers are actually using AI in the real world, Tradeline interviewed a cross-section of industry-leading professionals who specialize in science and research facilities to find out if—and how—they’re using AI technologies and what they see as some of the potential risks and benefits. 

The University of Cincinnati’s College of Allied Health Sciences designed a classroom building that lives up to its name, one that promotes the health and well-being of students and faculty, with ample natural light, healthy eating options, and spaces for quiet respite.

The University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern opened the $120 million Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Building in August of 2023. Located on the east campus of UT Southwestern Medical Center, the 150,000-sf facility accommodates innovative research programs in artificial intelligence, robotics, and molecular and genetic engineering. The five-story structure provides state-of-the-art wet labs, dry labs, and collaboration spaces where multidisciplinary teams will discover new medical solutions and technologies.

The University of Arkansas broke ground in August of 2023 on the $36 million Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility (MUSiC) in Fayetteville. Located in the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, the 18,660-sf building will produce microelectronic chips made with silicon carbide, a powerful semiconductor that outperforms basic silicon in several critical ways.

Ancora L&G began construction in August of 2023 on a $195 million life sciences center in Providence that will provide 80,000 sf of world-class research space for the Rhode Island Department of Health. Occupying the entirety of the second and third floors, the new state health lab will feature BSL-3 suites for the detection and mitigation of infectious disease agents and environmental hazards.

Austin Peay State University broke ground in August of 2023 on the $65 Health Professions Building in Clarksville, Tenn. Designed by Hastings Architecture and Ayers Saint Gross, the 114,600-sf facility will provide a dynamic mix of instructional venues supporting both lecture-based and active learning modalities. Featuring leading-edge simulation suites, the three-story structure will include teaching and research labs, collaboration spaces, study areas, a community clinic, and administrative and faculty offices.

The University of North Dakota is planning to construct the Materials Exploration and Advanced Materials Processing Facility (MatEx) in Grand Forks. Designed by Stantec and ICON Architectural Group, the 28,000-sf facility will enable the expansion of innovative programs in biomass processing, critical minerals production and processing, and the creation of advanced carbon-based materials.

Baylor University opened the $60 million Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center in August of 2023 in Waco, Texas. Designed by Populous, the 120,000-sf complex is a vibrant campus hub for academic, cultural, and social activities. Acting as the front door to the university, the iconic facility features a grand hall with four soaring columns and an array of interactive displays to engage prospective students and their families.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham broke ground in July of 2023 on the $84 million Frances and Miller Gorrie Hall. Housing the School of Engineering, the 116,000-sf facility will enable a progressive pedagogy that blends academic instruction with hands-on learning and industry experience. With a welcoming commons opening onto an outdoor patio, the vibrant structure will provide flexible teaching and research labs, a design and prototyping lab, and a 2,000-sf materials testing lab.

Pennsylvania State University is constructing the $128 million Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building on the University Park campus. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the 143,000-sf facility will collocate the departments of anthropology, political science, and sociology and criminology, as well as housing the School of Public Policy, the School of International Affairs, and the Population Research Institute. The first floor will feature undergraduate instructional spaces, collaboration venues, and areas for group and individual study.

Training the scientists and engineers of the future requires academic spaces that are as much as a story taller and 1,000 sf bigger than in the past, and better-equipped to support entrepreneurship, industry partnerships, and hands-on learning. In addition to the standard makerspaces—with metal shops, machining labs, woodshops, prototyping, and 3D printing—students are also experimenting with wind tunnels and large water tanks.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham opened the first phase of the Science and Engineering Complex in August of 2023. The $76 million facility was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood as a collaborative nexus for teaching and research in the basic sciences. Collocating undergraduate and graduate programs, the four-story, 145,784-sf building accommodates the departments of biology and physics, as well as providing lab and support space for the department of chemistry.

Vancouver Community College is planning to construct the CAD$291.3 million Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation on its Broadway campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. Designed by Stantec, the 343,832-sf facility will empower students to participate in the clean energy economy with technology-rich teaching labs, flexible classrooms, and specialized venues for collaborative education.

Caltech has begun site work for the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Center for Quantum Precision Measurement in Pasadena, Calif. Designed by HOK, the four-story, 116,451-sf facility will support interdisciplinary research programs in quantum sensing, quantum information, and gravitational-wave detection. Open interaction zones and collaboration spaces will promote dynamic knowledge exchange and discovery, complemented by a range of office settings and meeting rooms.

The evolution of space planning and utilization was kicked into overdrive during the COVID-19 pandemic, as everyone from private industry to higher education to government entities was forced to rethink who works where, and when. After three years of transition, organizations are now implementing innovative hybrid work scenarios and space utilization initiatives that reflect the new workplace landscape. The emerging solution is a hybrid work model that blends work-from-home with time spent at a shared physical work environment. That provides institutions the opportunity to make the most efficient use of the space they have, shed the facilities they don’t need, and focus on creating spaces that entice employees out of their home offices and back to the workplace.