Higher Education

Florida Atlantic University hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for its $35 million Neuroscience Building in Jupiter in November of 2019. Construction will begin in summer of 2020 on the facility, which will provide shared research labs, faculty offices, a business incubator, and instructional space for programs in neuroscience, biotechnology, bioengineering, bioinformatics, and chemistry. The 58,000-sf project is strategically sited on the John D.

Dixie State University dedicated the $60 million Human Performance Center in November of 2019 in St. George, Utah. Collocating academic, athletic, and recreational functions in a single integrated location, the 155,000-sf building provides learning environments, fitness facilities, and multipurpose spaces for the Health & Human Performance Department.

Michigan State University broke ground on the $85 million Doug Meijer Innovation Building in Grand Rapids in November of 2019. Designed by SmithGroup, the 205,000-sf facility will house multiple tenants including Spectrum Health, BAMF Health, and MSU's College of Human Medicine. The collaborative six-story building will enable the discovery and commercialization of new medical devices, artificial intelligence technologies, and treatments for cancer and dementia.

Flexibility is the key to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, long regarded as a prime example of successful industry/academic spaces, where 190 graduate students in the media arts and sciences pursue degrees and engage in a wide research agenda. The Lab occupies 163,000 gsf across two buildings: part of the Weisner building, which opened in 1985, and a six-story addition completed in 2009, a decade after design began. The majority of the Lab’s $80 million operating budget is supported through a corporate membership model.

California State University, San Bernardino opened the $55 million Center for Global Innovation in November of 2019. Serving as the centerpiece of the campus, the three-story, 71,000-sf facility features 24 collaborative classrooms, reconfigurable multipurpose rooms, and casual study lounges. The building houses the College of Extended Learning and the university's international student programs, as well as providing administrative offices, a 250-seat auditorium, and retail food amenities.

Florida Gulf Coast University broke ground in November of 2019 on a $59.9 million building for The Water School in Fort Myers. Designed by RG Architects and HuntonBrady, the four-story, 117,000-sf facility will provide 58,000 sf of research labs, 15,000 sf of teaching labs, and 23,400 sf of classrooms. The project will be the largest academic structure on FGCU's campus and will support interdisciplinary environmental sciences programs focused on water quality, policy, and management.

Utah Valley University broke ground in November of 2019 on the $75 million Scott C. Keller Building in Orem. Housing the Woodbury School of Business, the 180,000-sf facility will feature experiential learning environments including the Bloomberg Lab, the SmartLab, the Entrepreneurship Institute, and the Money Management Resource Center. The building will also offer a large lecture auditorium, a student success center, 205 offices, and 30 classrooms with integrated lecture-capture technologies to enable students to participate remotely.

Stanford University opened a $256 million biomedical research complex in November of 2019 in Stanford, Calif. Designed by Ennead Architects, the four-story, 235,000-sf project includes the Stanford ChEM-H (Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health) Building and the Stanford Neurosciences Building, which houses the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.

Georgia Institute of Technology dedicated the $30 million Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design in October of 2019 in Atlanta. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent & The Miller Hull Partnership, the 47,000-sf facility provides two 64-person classrooms, a maker space, four class labs, a conference room, offices, and a 176-person auditorium.

Auburn University broke ground in November of 2019 on the $22 million Advanced Structural Testing Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. Designed by Chambless King Architects, the 41,500-sf building will provide the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering with a wind testing facility, a concrete materials research lab, a 4,700-cubic-foot geotechnical test chamber, and a high-bay lab with floors and walls capable of handling extreme structural testing loads.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley broke ground in November of 2019 on the $30 million Institute for Neuroscience in Harlingen. Designed by Muñoz & Co. Architects, the 32,570-sf translational research facility will provide integrated laboratory, diagnostic, and clinical spaces where doctors and scientists can collaboratively develop innovative therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders.

North Carolina A&T State University is constructing the $90 million Engineering Research & Innovation Center in Greensboro. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering to promote experiential learning, the 130,000-sf teaching and research building will accommodate programs including cybersecurity, energy science, and health technology.

The Universities at Shady Grove opened the $175 million Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility in November of 2019 in Rockville, Md. Supporting programs in engineering, biotechnology, cybersecurity, and healthcare, the collaborative 228,805-gsf building houses 10 teaching labs, 12 active learning classrooms, two 120-seat lecture halls, maker spaces, a product design lab, academic offices, an atrium, and an entrepreneurship hub.

Universities are embracing the idea that wellness and well-being efforts improve student success, and that student mental health impacts everyone. To that end, many institutions acknowledge wellness initiatives as preventative health measures rather than just an amenity. At North Carolina State University, for example, multiple stakeholder groups—including athletics, wellness, healthcare services, and mental health counseling—connect to help students build healthy habits and provide those in crisis with a more secure safety net. In 2018, NC State renamed University Recreation to Wellness and Recreation to better reflect the department’s focus on overall well-being for students and staff. With an annual operating budget of $6.3 million, the department has 32 professional staff and 650 student employees who provide fitness and wellness-related training and classes. A new Wellness and Recreation Center, scheduled to open in Fall 2020, will replace a 1960s building that has outlived its usefulness, despite a number of renovations over the years. The $45 million project addresses health, code, safety, and ADA deficiencies, and the resulting building will serve as a campus hub that provides more than 82,000 sf of fitness, administrative, and multipurpose space.

Baylor University is planning to construct the $60 million Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center in Waco, Texas. Designed by Populous, the vibrant campus hub will offer approximately 115,000 sf of space for academic, cultural, social, and alumni activities. Acting as the front door to the university, the project will include a 55,000-sf experience center with interactive digital technologies to engage prospective students and their families. Construction is expected to begin by summer of 2020 with completion slated for spring of 2022.