Higher Education

The University of California-Merced is planning to construct a stem cell research facility in the existing Science and Engineering Building in Merced, Calif. Funded by $4.36 million in funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the $6 million research laboratory will feature a microfabrication facility to analyze stem cells at a single cell level. Construction could begin in October of 2009 with occupancy expected in October of 2010.

The University of Nottingham officially opened the £30 million Jubilee Campus Phase II in March of 2009. Located on a former brownfield site in Nottingham in the United Kingdom, the sustainably-designed project includes the Sir Colin Campbell Building, housing the University's Technology Transfer Office and a business incubator; the International House; and the Amenities Building, which provides lecture and seminar rooms, student services, and dining.

The University of Southern Indiana will break ground in April of 2009 on an $18.4 million expansion of University Center on its Evansville campus. The facility was designed by Holzman Moss Architecture of New York city with Weddle Brothers as general contractor. Completion is expected in early 2011. The project involves 18,000 sf of new construction and conversion of a 60,000-sf former library to create conference, dining, and student organization space. The expansion will add a total of 78,000 sf to the completed University Center.

Henderson State University opened its 11,773-sf nursing instruction building in March of 2009 in Arkadelphia, Ark. The facility features simulation laboratories for skills training, classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and a computer lab. Construction began on the building in April of 2008. The facility was designed by Stuck Associate Architects and built by Seale Construction Company.

The University of Central Florida will break ground in March of 2009 on the second phase of the Physical Sciences Building in Orlando. Housing chemistry and physics research labs and offices, the $30 million facility will be connected to the first Physical Sciences facility by an atrium. The four-story, 62,000-sf project will be constructed with isolated slabs to protect sensitive instrumentation from vibrations. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which will feature daylighting and a green roof.

Strathclyde University is constructing the £35 million Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences in Glasgow. Designed by Sheppard Robson, the 8,000-sm multidisciplinary facility will support drug discovery and pharmaceutical R&D as well as housing the departments of physiology, bioscience, immunology, pharmaceutical sciences, and pharmacology. The six-story project will include a 160-seat teaching lab, research labs, interactive write-up spaces, and a pharmaceutical cleanroom.

Jacksonville University broke ground on the $11 million Marine Sciences Research Institute in late February of 2009 in Jacksonville, Fla. The 30,000-sf riverfront facility will support research on water quality, dredging, and marine mammal preservation with laboratories, a classroom, and a teaching pontoon. Completion is slated for late 2010. The architect for the two-story building is Rink Design. The LEED certified project will feature solar panels and a rainwater drainage system.

The University of California, Berkeley dedicated the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) headquarters on February 27, 2009. Located in the seven-story, 141,000-gsf Sutardja Dai Hall, the facility features the Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory which contains two 15,000-sf cleanrooms. The multidisciplinary building houses research laboratories, offices, distance learning classrooms, conference rooms, and a 149-seat auditorium.

The University of Virginia Medical Center is constructing a six-story intensive care center on its Charlottesville campus. The facility will include critical care units and surgical suites with integrated MRI technology. Built as an addition to the main hospital, the project is part of a $500 million capital plan that includes the construction of a clinical cancer center, a long term acute care hospital, and a children’s medical unit.

Rutgers University is initiating a $500 million construction program that will create new facilities in Newark, New Brunswick, and Piscataway in New Jersey. Supporting more than 20 building projects, the plan includes construction of the $25 million Institute for Health Sciences in New Brunswick, the $55 million Center for Integrative Proteomics Technologies in Piscataway, and a $5.4 million research laboratory addition to the Life Sciences Center in Newark.

The University of Central Oklahoma is building the $8.5 million Center for Transformative Learning in Edmond. Designed by Frankfurt Short Bruza Associates, the 33,000-sf facility will house progressive instruction in 11 classrooms, an outdoor classroom, and informal learning spaces. The facility will promote interactive and collaborative learning instead of lecture based pedagogy. Completion is slated for May of 2010.

Arizona State University is building a second nursing education building in Phoenix. The $223 million project will provide a 200-seat auditorium, research facilities, and five classrooms. The building is created in partnership with the City of Phoenix, enabling city business to occupy the top two floors of the five-story building. Construction began on the project in April of 2008. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

Gold Coast University Hospital broke ground in February of 2009 on its $1.55 billion healthcare facility Molendinar, Queensland, Australia. The 10-story teaching and research hospital will be comprised of two towers providing 750 beds. The sustainably designed facility is being built by Bovis Lend Lease and is slated for completion by December of 2012.

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences broke ground on the $38.7 million Forensic Sciences and Biomedical Research Facility in Tulsa in February of 2009. Created in partnership with the City of Tulsa, the five-story, 160,000-sf building will house laboratories for biomedical research and forensic analysis. Occupancy is slated for fall of 2010.

The University of California, Davis is planning to construct the Research and Teaching Winery and August A. Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory in Davis, Calif. Part of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, the 34,000-sf facility is slated for completion in 2010. The Brewing and Food Science Laboratory will include a food processing pilot plant, a dairy processing suite, and a pilot brewery for the Department of Food Science and Technology.