Higher Education

Washington University in St. Louis broke ground on a 150,875-sf energy and environmental science facility in late October of 2008. Housing the School of Engineering & Applied Science, the Stephen and Camilla Brauer Building will connect to the existing biomedical engineering facility, Whitaker Hall. The project will provide research and instructional laboratories, classrooms, conference rooms, and faculty offices for the School of Engineering's Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering (EECE).

Highline Community College’s Marine Science and Technology Center (MaST) opened in Redondo, Wash., in late summer of 2008. The 2,500-sf facility features five aquariums, three ‘touch’ tanks, and direct saltwater access. The building houses research and classroom space for oceanography, marine biology, and environmental science. Construction began on the $2 million project in 2006.

The University of South Carolina broke ground in late 2008 on the $30 million Horizon II facility in Columbia, S.C. The five-story, 110,000-sf building is being built by general contractor Kirco. Completion is expected in 2009. Two five-story academic and research buildings, Horizon I and Discovery I, are also expected to reach completion in 2009.

Pennsylvania State University is constructing the $121 million Cancer Institute at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa. Slated for occupancy in spring of 2009, the facility will house clinical and basic science research laboratories and instructional facilities for the College of Medicine.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dedicated the Frederick P. Brooks Jr. Computer Science Building in October of 2008. The 30,000-sf, four-story facility features laboratories for graphics and computer security, classrooms, faculty offices, and a seminar room. The building is connected to Sitterson Hall, which houses the University’s computer science department. The Brooks Building is part of the $205 million Carolina Physical Science Complex in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The University of Texas is constructing a three-building biomedical complex in Houston. The three facilities total approximately 400,000 sf and have a construction cost of $161.5 million. The $90 million UT Dental Branch facility is slated for completion in 2010. The $23 million Neuroscience Building will be completed in 2009. The $41 million Biomedical Research and Education Facility, also slated for completion in 2009, will promote translational research by exploring the intersection of engineering and medicine. The three projects broke ground in August of 2007.

The University of Rochester broke ground in October of 2008 on the $76.4 million Clinical and Translational Science Building in Rochester, N.Y. Representing a partnership of the University of Rochester Medical Center, the state of New York, and the National Institutes of Health, the 150,000-sf facility will house labs and offices for the development and commercialization of biomedical research discoveries.

West Virginia University officially opened a $12 million addition to the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources in Morgantown in October of 2008. The four-story facility houses biomedical engineering labs, group study rooms, offices, a 120-seat classroom, and the Research Center for Alternative Fuels and Engine Emissions.

Colorado State University celebrated the completion of the $45 million University Center for the Arts in Fort Collins in October of 2008.

Rowan University opened the $10 million Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center in October of 2008 in Glassboro, N.J. Located in the 200-acre South Jersey Technology Park, the 45,000-sf facility provides incubator and laboratory space for University, industry, and government research. The second floor houses the nonprofit Educational Information and Resource Center and the Challenger Learning Center, a simulated NASA space mission for middle school students.

The University of Utah will break ground in summer of 2009 on the $130 million James L. Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building in Salt Lake City. The 193,000-sf project is part of the $500 million Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) and will anchor the University’s new Interdisciplinary Quadrangle. Housing advanced imaging and nanotechnology laboratories, the facility will include a 20,000-sf nanofabrication suite. The multidisciplinary building will support biomedical and neuroscience research.

The University of the West Indies is planning to build a $3 billion complex for its Faculty of Medical Sciences in Mona, Jamaica. Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2009. The facility will house five large lecture halls, teaching and research laboratories, computer labs, and a library for the departments of anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, and physiology.

The University of Texas at Dallas broke ground in October of 2008 on the $29 million Math, Science, and Engineering Teaching-Learning Center (MSET). Slated for completion in 2010, the undergraduate instructional facility will house lecture halls, classrooms, and teaching laboratories for chemistry, physics, biology, and geosciences. The 76,000-gsf facility (45,000-asf) was designed by Kell Muñoz Architects.

MIT is building a 160,000-sf expansion of its Media Lab in Cambridge, Mass. The new extension is known as Building E14 and is slated to open in October of 2009. Designed by Maki and Associates of Tokyo, the six-story facility will house seven research laboratories, administrative offices, conference rooms, a 100-seat theater, and a two-level atrium.

Stanford University School of Medicine broke ground on the $200 million Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building on October 27, 2008 in Stanford, Calif. The 200,000-sf facility is scheduled to open in summer of 2010 and will be the largest stem cell research facility in the United States. Housing the Stanford Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Institute, the building will feature an open design to encourage collaboration with a large atrium connecting two research wings.