Higher Education

McMaster University opened the $48 million Engineering Technology Building in October of 2009 in Hamilton, Ontario. Designed by Vermeulen Hind Architects, the 125,000-sf facility will house the McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology Partnership, the first-year Engineering program, the McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice, a new Biointerfaces Institute, and the Centre for Research in Micro- and Nano-Systems.

Oklahoma State University is constructing the $70 million Henry Bellmon Research Center in Stillwater. Construction began the 124,000-sf facility in July of 2007 and completion is slated for fall of 2010. Comprised of three above-ground floors and a basement, the interdisciplinary facility will accommodate research in biodiversity, biophysics, photonics, synthetic chemistry, and advanced materials.

Notre Dame University celebrated the opening of the $13 million Innovation Park in October of 209. Located in South Bend, Ind., the 55,000-sf facility houses over 30,000-sf of laboratory space, customizable offices, and conference rooms. Construction began on the business incubator in October of 2008. Innovation Park will provide research space for the Midwest Institute of Nanotechnology Development (MIND), an organization comprised of scientists from Notre Dame, Purdue University, Penn State University, The University of Illinois, and The University of Michigan.

Indiana University School of Medicine dedicated the $12 million Medical Education Center in Fort Wayne on October 30, 2009. The 42,000-sf facility features technology-rich classrooms, research space, four patient exam rooms, two conference rooms, and 14 faculty offices. Developed in partnership with Purdue University, the Medical Education Center was designed by MSKTD and Associates with Weigand Construction as general contractor. Construction began on the project in 2007 and reached completion in mid-2009.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler broke ground on a $67 million academic medical center in late October of 2009. Providing clinical care and medical education, the 81,000-sf facility will be built in two phases over five years. The first $42 million phase will include construction of the building's shell and a first-floor cancer center. The second $25 million phase will complete the second and third floors to house classrooms, an auditorium, and a medical library.

Indiana University School of Medicine initiated construction in October of 2009 on the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute in Indianapolis. Housing the Department of Ophthalmology, the 70,000-sf facility will include biomedical research laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, and an outpatient clinic. The Glick Eye Institute was designed by RATIO Architects of Indianapolis. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Georgia Southern University is constructing the Public Health Core Research Lab in Statesboro. Part of the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, the facility is comprised of two BSL-3 research labs, two teaching labs, and two chemistry labs. Completion is expected in 2010.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine dedicated the Anne and C. Michael Armstrong Medical Education Building in Baltimore in October of 2009. Supporting a progressive curriculum based on advances in genetic medicine and molecular biology, the $55 million facility will promote collaborative learning. The Armstrong Medical Education Building features teaching labs, an anatomy lab, and a simulated operating room. Construction began on the four-story, 100,000-sf building in early 2007.

Five universities will partner to create the $200 million Life Science Collaborative Facility in Portland, Ore. The 300,000-sf project will be led by Oregon Health and Science University and Portland State University, with Oregon State University, University of Oregon, and Oregon Institute of Technology as partner institutions. Housing bioscience research and instruction, the building will include dedicated space for some institutions as well as shared collaborative space.

Georgian College broke ground on the $65 million Centre for Health and Wellness in October of 2009. Located in Barrie, Ontario, the 165,000-sf facility will house outpatient medical care, a dental lab and clinic, and instructional facilities. Occupancy is expected in September of 2011.

Concordia University is planning to construct the Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics (CSFG) in Montreal, Quebec. Supported by $30 million in federal and provincial funding through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, the facility will be constructed as a 5,400-sm wing attached to the existing Richard J. Renaud Science Complex on the Loyola Campus. The Genomics Centre will house interdisciplinary laboratories for the study of genomics, systems biology, biotechnology, and bioinformatics.

The University of Florida will open the $388 million Shands Cancer Hospital on Nov. 1, 2009. Located in Gainesville, the 500,000-sf facility provides 192 beds in private rooms, surgical suites, a Critical Care Center for trauma and emergency services, advanced diagnostic imaging, and a rooftop helipad. The construction manager for the project was Skanska USA Building. The nine-story tower features 97,000-sf of glass windows designed to resist Category 3 hurricane winds.

The University of California, Davis opened the $16.2 million Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr. Hall in October of 2009. Housing the Graduate School of Management, the three-story facility is connected to the new UC Davis Conference Center. The 40,000-sf project houses technology-rich classrooms, a student affairs and career services center, and space for extracurricular activities. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which features a white roof, low-flow water fixtures, and abundant daylighting.

Gold Coast University Hospital is building a $1.76 billion academic medical center in the Molendinar area of Gold Coast City in Queensland. The 10-story, 750-bed teaching and research hospital will be comprised of two towers providing a total of 750 beds. The sustainably designed facility is being constructed by Bovis Lend Lease. Ground was broken for the project in February of 2009 with completion slated for December of 2012. The hospital will provide facilities for radiotherapy, neurosciences, labor and delivery, surgery, emergency, and trauma care.

Smith College dedicated the $73 million Ford Hall in October of 2009 in Northampton, Mass. The 140,000-sf facility will provide space for engineering, chemistry, biology, molecular biology, and computer science. Construction began on the facility in 2007. The project team included architect Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and RFD (Research Facilities Design) as lab design consultant. The sustainably-designed Ford Hall houses classrooms, lecture halls, and laboratories.