Higher Education

Johnson and Wales University completed the Center for Culinary Excellence in Providence, R.I., in November of 2010. The 82,000-sf teaching facility was designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates with RDK Engineers providing MEP/FP design and construction administration services. The center is located on the university’s Harborside campus and houses 20 kitchens, three dining rooms, classrooms, and offices. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which features VAV exhaust hoods and stormwater harvesting.

The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences opened the 125,000-sf Forensic Sciences and Biomedical Research Facility in Tulsa in November of 2010. Developed in partnership with the City of Tulsa, the four-story project houses forensic labs for teaching and research, instructional space, and biomedical research facilities.

The University of Minnesota celebrated the opening of the $72.5 million Science Teaching and Student Services building in Minneapolis in November of 2010. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in association with HGA Architects and Engineers, the facility includes two lecture halls, 10 advanced learning classrooms (ALCs), and 17 multipurpose classrooms. The building also houses administrative offices, conference rooms, a student lounge, a café area, and numerous informal student study areas of varied scale.

Texas A&M University at Galveston dedicated the $53.2 million Ocean and Coastal Studies Building (OCSB) in November of 2010. Designed by WHR Architects, the 110,000-sf marine research facility is located on Pelican Island and houses the Texas Institute of Oceanography, Center for Texas Beaches and Shores, Texas Seafood Safety Laboratory, Laboratory of Oceanographic and Environmental Research, Coastal Zone Laboratory, and the university’s Marine Biology and Marine Sciences academic departments.

The University of Kerala will construct the College of Architecture, Trivandrum (CAT) in Vellanadu, India. The stand-alone campus will house research and teaching facilities for sustainable design and construction, construction management, and infrastructure planning. The curriculum will be developed in collaboration with the Indian Green Building Council and will support LEED AP certification. The Rs 18-crore campus is expected to open in fall of 2011.

The University of Pittsburgh will construct a $50 million addition to Salk Hall. The expansion will provide laboratories and offices for the School of Pharmacy and the School of Dental Medicine. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. Completion is expected by 2013.

The University of St. Andrews opened the £45 million School of Medical and Biological Sciences in Scotland in November of 2010. Providing integrated facilities for research and medical education, the building is designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and is connected by a bridge to the school of physics and astronomy. The School of Medical and Biological Sciences includes a 300-seat lecture hall, classrooms, and laboratories for teaching and research. The facility was completed in May of 2010.

The University of Cambridge broke ground on a £41 million facility for the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy in November of 2010. The 10,200-sm building was designed by NBBJ and will house laboratories, offices, support, and social space. An electron microscopy facility will be built on an isolated concrete slab to eliminate vibration and electromagnetic interference. Consolidating five existing facilities, the project will integrate teaching and research activities in a facility designed to maximize interaction and collaboration.

The University of Macau broke ground in November of 2010 on a 100,000-sm campus in Zhuhai, China. Located on Hengqin Island, the MOP 6 billion project includes construction of eight teaching towers and a seven-story library. Completion is expected in late 2012.

George Washington University will begin construction on the Neglected Diseases of Poverty translational research facility in summer of 2011. Located at George Washington Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the project includes renovation of 35,000 sf of existing space to house open laboratories and clinical space for the study of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and neglected infections of poverty (NIPs). The multidisciplinary project is supported by $15 million in federal stimulus funding.

Lehman College is building a $70 million science building in the Bronx, N.Y. The 69,000-sf facility will house research and instructional space for the departments of biology and chemistry. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which features a rooftop greenhouse and photovoltaic panels. Completion is expected in 2012. A planned second phase of development includes construction of a $120 million facility for physics, earth science, and environmental studies.

The University of Adelaide opened the 5,500-sm Veterinary Health Centre (VHC) in Roseworthy in November of 2010. The $28 million facility houses the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), clinical space, teaching labs, and training rooms. The center includes the public access Companion Animal Health Centre integrated with advanced veterinary education facilities.

The University of South Alabama will begin construction in December of 2010 on a $45 million patient tower for the Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Mobile. The general contractor for the project is Doster Construction. The five-story, 200,000-sf facility will house inpatient rooms, eight surgical suites, two endoscopy rooms, a cafeteria, a parking garage, and support areas. Completion is expected in late 2012.

The University of Kentucky broke ground in November of 2010 on a 36,000-sf expansion of the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) in Lexington. The $19.8 million facility is located in the Spindletop Research Park and is supported by $11.8 million in federal stimulus funding. The expansion will support research into biofuels, biomass, wind, and solar energy. The adjacent Kentucky Argonne Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center will also conduct research at the center. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the expansion.

Texas A&M University selected BOKA Powell in November of 2010 as the architect of record for a $26 million health science facility in Bryan. Ground was broken for the 130,000-sf project in mid-2010 with completion expected by August of 2011. The facility is being developed by Skanska HealthRealty and will combine clinical and medical education space within a simulated hospital.