Higher Education

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the fourth quarter of 2020. Key points include:

Construction Prices: Remain flat through Q4 of 2020, with one in ten projects showing cost reductions with strong contractor coverage across the board.

Fed Watch: The Federal Reserve continued monetary stimulus.

Architectural Billings: Q4 has returned to growth in inquiries; however, three quarters of billing declines in 2020 will result in a lower volume for the first half of 2021.

The University of British Columbia is planning to construct the CAD$136 million School of Biomedical Engineering Building on the Point Grey campus in Vancouver. The 151,305-gsf facility will accommodate teaching and research labs, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, and offices. Featuring innovative learning venues for undergraduate and graduate programs, the building will provide classrooms, a 250-seat lecture hall, and a central atrium for informal learning and interaction.

Caltech dedicated the $210 million Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Neuroscience Research Building in January of 2021 in Pasadena. Designed by SmithGroup to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the 150,000-sf facility provides wet, dry, and computational research labs for the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering. Standing three stories above grade with two basement levels, the structure includes teaching labs, a neurotechnology lab, a 150-seat lecture hall, conference rooms, and offices for investigators and staff.

The University of Texas at San Antonio broke ground in January of 2021 on a $90 million facility for the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center. Designed by Jacobs and Overland Partners, the six-story, 167,000-sf structure will provide the School of Data Science with 86,000 sf of classrooms, labs, and offices for the departments of computer science, computer engineering, statistics and data sciences, and information systems and cybersecurity.

Academic libraries are radically reprogramming spaces and services to connect students to validated digital information and the expertise of library staff. Space that once housed printed information is being opened for people to collaborate and create. When the multi-year, multi-phased University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library renovation is complete, it will add 401 seats (a 15 percent increase) and enhanced digital services in a welcoming environment that inspires discovery. At Carnegie Mellon University’s Sorrells Engineering and Science Library, reprogramming and a few strategic design moves have resulted in 115 percent increase in user occupancy.

The University of Miami is constructing the $60 million Frost Institute of Chemical and Molecular Science in Coral Gables, Fla. Designed by Harvard Jolly Architecture, the five-story, 94,000-sf facility will include a central gathering area, seminar rooms, a microscopy imaging suite, innovation labs, and investigator offices. The highly flexible structure will feature open wet lab environments with moveable benches and fixtures. Overhead service carriers will supply power and gas to the lab benches for optimal reconfigurability.

St. Joseph's College is planning to break ground in 2021 on the $17 million Student Center in New York. Designed as a vibrant hub for interaction and collaboration, the 32,000-sf facility will enhance the educational experience of the college's growing student population in the post-pandemic era. The two-story structure will include a dining area, an art gallery, a chapel, conference rooms, meeting areas, an eSports team room, a gift shop, computer labs, lounges, and offices for faculty and staff.

Western Colorado University opened the Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering in Gunnison in January of 2021. Designed by Farnsworth Group with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 75,000-sf building provides experiential learning classrooms, laboratories, instrumentation suites, lecture halls, collaboration spaces, faculty offices, and a central gallery with a canted glass curtainwall.

Manchester Metropolitan University began construction in January of 2021 on the Science and Engineering Building in the United Kingdom. Designed by BDP, the seven-story, 160,000-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs, instructional venues, a 200-seat super lab, academic offices, collaboration spaces, self-directed learning areas, and a central atrium.

The Ohio State University broke ground in December of 2020 on the $27 million Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex in Columbus. Designed by Erdy-McHenry Architecture, the 49,050-sf project will provide sophisticated research and cultivation facilities for the development of advanced food production technologies.

The most-read Tradeline articles in 2020 reflect how the industry has responded to the COVID-19 crisis with flexibility and adaptability. From virtual site visits and virus-mitigating HVAC solutions to forward-looking models for office work, research programs, and higher education, readers learned about the innovative solutions that peer organizations have adopted to weather the storm and position themselves to thrive in the recovery.

Western Washington University is planning to construct the $68 million Kaiser Borsari Hall in Bellingham. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 40,000-sf structure will accommodate the school's growing programs in computer science and electrical engineering. The collaborative four-story building will provide experiential learning venues, teaching and research labs, classrooms, offices, breakout areas, a multicultural student lounge, a commons, and a mechanical basement.

The University of South Florida broke ground in December of 2020 on the $54 million Judy Genshaft Honors College in Tampa. Designed by Morphosis to foster interdisciplinary exchange, the five-story, 85,000-sf structure will offer interwoven facilities including a central atrium, learning lofts, classrooms, labs, study areas, offices, a café, and a music and computer lab. On the ground floor, the collaborative structure will feature a central atrium with adjoining flexible spaces that can be connected to accommodate large events.

Cranfield University completed construction in December of 2020 on the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) in the United Kingdom. Designed by Burrell Foley Fischer, the £65 million complex provides technology-rich laboratory environments adjoining a live aerodrome with a hangar, a 737-400 aircraft, and a digital air traffic control center with next-generation radar systems. The innovative facility also includes open offices and a two-story atrium with integrated breakout areas to promote interaction and collaboration.

The University of Virginia is planning to construct the School of Data Science in Charlottesville. Designed by Hopkins Architects and VMDO, the four-story, 61,000-sf facility will feature four adaptive classrooms with integrated technologies to enhance learning and interaction. Illuminated by abundant natural light, the highly transparent structure will include a double-height venue for lectures and events, a collaborative central staircase, and faculty offices with operable windows for improved ventilation.