Higher Education

The University of Illinois at Chicago will renovate 23,000 sf of existing space to create an interdisciplinary oral health research facility. The project is supported by $9.9 million in federal stimulus funding and includes 9,000 sf of new research space. The facility will house a vivarium for animal research, core facilities, and laboratories for clinical and translational research. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Texas State University opened the $36 million St. David School of Nursing in September of 2010. Located in Round Rock, the three-story facility includes nine simulation labs and a total of 76 mannequins.

The University of Texas at El Paso is building three new facilities on its El Paso campus. A $69.2 million, 140,000-sf expansion of the Chemistry and Computer Science building will house the Biomedical Engineering and Bioinformatics Annex, the Research and Academic Data Center, the W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation expansion, and the Center for Space Exploration Technology Research Propulsion Lab.

The University of Connecticut completed the 117,000-sf Cell and Genome Sciences Building in Farmington in August of 2010. The renovated building supports research in stem cell biology, genetics, computational biology, and advanced microscopy and imaging. The $52 million project features open laboratories to support collaborative interdisciplinary research as well as offices, a 100-seat auditorium, and business incubator space. The project was designed by Goody Clancy. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology opened the 33,000-sf Paleontology Research Laboratory in September of 2010. The $7 million facility was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification and features recycled materials, rainwater harvesting, and energy efficient lighting. The building consolidates the paleontology department’s offices from three separate locations and includes a mobile-shelving storage system for fossils and minerals.

University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast will begin construction in spring of 2011 on a $7.6 million science building in Long Beach, Miss. The 33,580-sf facility will house biology and chemistry labs, classrooms, faculty offices, research space, and a marine science lab.

Princeton University opened the 265,000-sf Frick Chemistry Laboratory in September of 2010 in Princeton, N.J. The sustainably designed facility features self-closing fume hoods, photovoltaic panels, heat recovery, and advanced HVAC systems. The $278 million project was designed by Hopkins Architects in association with Payette. The general contractor was Turner Construction. Site work began on the project in summer of 2007.

St. Louis Community College opened its 29,700-sf Harrison Education Center in September of 2010. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which features abundant natural light, low VOC interior finishes, an energy efficient HVAC system, and low flow water fixtures. KAI Design & Build provided architectural, MEP engineering, interior design, and cost estimating services on the $7.5 million project.

The University of Wyoming broke ground on the 79,000-sf Visual Arts Center in Laramie, Wyo., in September of 2010. Housing teaching studios, administrative offices, a gallery, and a lecture hall, the $33 million facility will be built to achieve LEED sustainable design certification. The center will feature evaporative cooling, heat recovery, and an evacuated tube solar hot water system. Completion is expected in October of 2011.

Tulane University is initiating a renovation of its biomedical research laboratories in New Orleans. Supported by $13.5 million in federal stimulus funding, the project will create open interdisciplinary laboratories in 31,915 sf of existing space on three floors. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which will include research suites, tissue culture rooms, collaboration space, and support.

Tufts University Medford will renovate 19,627 nsf of existing wet lab space to house the Collaborative Cluster in Genome Structure and Developmental Patterning. Accommodating 70 scientists, the sustainably designed research facility will be contiguous with the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. The project is supported by $9.4 million in federal stimulus funding.

San Bernardino Valley College opened four new facilities in August of 2010. The three-story, 55,000-sf North Hall houses classrooms for arts, humanities, social science, and criminal justice. An 18,000-sf media center, a 5,600-sf custodial building, and a 7,700-sf maintenance and operations building were also constructed. The four facilities have a total footprint of 82,000 sf and a construction cost of $55 million. Additionally, a 40,000-sf science building is slated for occupancy in 2011.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will build out 33,660 nsf of shell space in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in Little Rock to house translational research laboratories. Supported by $10.4 million in federal stimulus funding, the collaborative facility will support the development of mechanism-based, molecularly-targeted novel cancer therapeutics.

Stanford University opened the $420 million Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) in August of 2010. Located underground in Menlo Park, Calif., the facility houses the world’s most powerful X-ray laser. The instrument will support research on fundamental chemistry, physics, materials science, and energy. Construction began on the project in October of 2006. The facility, which was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget, will accommodate 350 scientists. Project funding of $53.6 million was provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The University of Texas is planning to build an $800 million academic medical center in Dallas to replace UT Southwestern University Hospital in St. Paul. The 12-story, 1.3 million-sf facility is slated for completion in September of 2014. Providing 424 beds, the patient-centered hospital will provide integrated facilities for research, education, and clinical treatment. The hospital will include 40 emergency rooms, 24 operating rooms, a helipad, and a dedicated thermal energy plant. Construction is expected to begin on the project in March of 2011.