Higher Education

Temple University City Center has relocated to a new six-story, 126,866-sf, state-of-the-art building in the center of downtown Philadelphia’s business district, a public transportation-friendly location. The $11.1-million structure, approximately 35,000 sf larger than the previous facility, is equipped with “smart carts” for overhead presentations, lounges on every floor, and views from every classroom. Temple’s Fox School of Business, the Real Estate Institute, and a new criminal justice institute will all be located at the new campus.

The University of California is making plans for a new 60,000-sf office building adjacent to the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The University’s Board of Regents is seeking a developer to design, build, finance, and maintain the building. Construction is slated to begin in 2003, targeting May 2005 for occupancy.

Mt. Holyoke College is designing its new science center and Blanchard Student Center renovation to comply with strict national green design standards. With both buildings certified to meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, these sustainable design buildings are part of 53,000,000 sf of commercial, residential, retail and government space that has been built to U.S. Green Building Council standards since the LEED certification program began two years ago.

Yale University School of Medicine selected Boston-based Jung/Brannen Associates Inc. to design a new 28,400-sf research facility. The lab will occupy half of the second floor of the 300 George Biotech Laboratory Building.

The Northside Independent School District (NISD) has selected PBK Architects Inc. of Houston to design a new high school on 75 acres in the Westover Hills. The $51-million, 350,000-sf school is slated to be ready for the 2005-2006 academic year with construction to begin in spring of 2003. The new campus was approved to relieve overcrowding at local high schools.

The University of California, San Francisco is planning a 150,000-sf neurosurgery, urology and cancer center serving advanced research. The $85-million building, still in a "very preliminary" stage, could be located on the University's Mt. Zion campus in San Francisco. The neurological research building will be accompanied by a $600-million project replacing existing hospitals due to cramped medical research space and inadequate seismic standards. After plans are approved, it could take at least 10 years to open the new hospital facilities.

Clayton College & State University will initiate the second phase of construction on its Clayton Place student dormitory and apartment project in April 2002. Developed by Place Properties LLC, the 11-acre, seven-building, 116-unit expansion of Clayton Place adds 430 beds and is slated to open in 2003. The first phase included a three-story apartment complex housing one- and two-bedroom apartments with student activity centers, exercise facilities, swimming pools, and game rooms.

George Washington University selected Einhorn Yaffee Prescott architecture and engineering to design Townhouse Row, a series of eight student rowhouses. Totalling 68,500 sf, the four-story building will house 200 students and is slated to begin construction in August of 2002. The development will feature dining rooms, a kitchen and a private courtyard.

Harvard University selected general contractor Lee Kennedy Co. Inc. to manage renovation of 53 Church St., creating a distance learning center and new classrooms. The $3.5-million project involves lifting the two-story historic building from its foundation and realigning the connection to an adjacent building with the addition of a new elevator core. Harvard was prevented from demolishing the original structure by the Cambridge Historical Society.

Boston University has completed an $80-million twin dormitory tower project, containing 20 and 17 stories respectively. General contractor for the facilities was Walsh Brothers Construction, who is currently performing pre-construction work on an additional $200-million, 6,000-seat hockey arena for the University.  

Southwest Texas State University is gathering proposals for the Multi-Institutional Teaching Center to be shared with Temple College's Taylor Center and Austin Community College. The campus would initially include an academic building and parking, with future expansion totalling up to 117,000-sf upon completion; 25,000-sf could be dropped if engineering and technology courses are not included in the Center's curriculum.

Trinity College has completed a $20 million renovation of its athletic facility including the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sport, a NCAA regulation playing field, and a 1,600-seat basketball arena. Trinity's athletic complex will be considered as a practice facility for the proposed Washington 2012 Olympics. Trinity College is a women's university with an enrollment of 1,500 students.

Media and Technology Charter High School (MATCH) selected HMFH Architects Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., to design its new Boston campus--a 20,000-sf building. The general contractor for the project is A.J. Martini Inc.

National Hispanic University is planning to develop the 11-acre site of the former Fred Martin Elementary School in San Jose as its permanent home. The 60,000-sf facility is scheduled for completion in 2003. Site purchase was made possible by over $11 million in funding raised by the school, along with donations from Sobrato Development and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation.

San Diego State University (SDSU) opened its new $16.5-million Aztech Athletics Center & Hall of Fame building in February 2002. Carrier Johnson, with offices in San Diego and Irvine, provided architectural and interior design services for the structure.