The University of Cincinnati is constructing the 180,000-sf Digital Futures Building in the Uptown Innovation Corridor. Designed by KieranTimberlake with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the interdisciplinary facility will provide applied research labs for the creation of innovative robotic, automotive, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies.
Corporate and academic research institutions are shifting towards a more interdisciplinary model for designing new lab buildings, with the goal of accelerating discovery times and increasing innovation. This means creating more open, team-based laboratories, with shared equipment and collaboration areas that increase interaction between scientists from different disciplines while optimizing space and resources. Two recent case studies illustrating this approach include the new 840,000-sf Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) in Cambridge, Mass., and a new 316,000-sf academic science facility at Towson University near Baltimore, Md. While one project is corporate and the other academic, much of the design and programming for both projects is focused around mapping out the research activities needed to get to the desired outcome.
University of South Florida Health opened the $173 million Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in January of 2020 in Tampa. Designed by HOK, the 395,000-sf facility provides large auditoriums, adaptable classrooms, and an experiential learning lab to support the delivery of team-based medical pedagogies. Instructional spaces are integrated with lab areas on four floors of the building to encourage interdisciplinary interaction.
Arizona State University broke ground in January of 2020 on a $73.5 million digital innovation campus in Mesa. Designed by Holly Street Studio and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the 118,000-sf facility will accommodate programs in digital and sensory technology, media arts, experiential design, gaming, and film production for the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Emory University Hospital is constructing the $475 million Winship at Midtown in Atlanta. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration with May Architecture + Interiors, the 17-story, 450,000-sf facility will provide the Winship Cancer Institute with integrated research and clinical spaces for the delivery of innovative personalized therapies.
Trinity College Dublin will begin construction in mid-2020 on the Martin Naughton E3 Learning Foundry in Ireland. Supporting a project-based pedagogy for STEM education, the $67 million interdisciplinary facility will offer interactive learning spaces and laboratories for the Engineering, Environment and Emerging Technologies Institute. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios to promote collaboration and innovation, the six-story, 78,102-sf building will be shared by the schools of engineering, natural sciences, and computer science and statistics.
Cañada College is constructing the $88 million Kinesiology and Wellness Building in Redwood City, Calif. Designed by ELS Architecture and Urban Design, the 105,000-sf facility will include 25,685 sf of academic space for the Athletics, Kinesiology and Dance Department. The building will provide classrooms, studios, faculty offices, two swimming pools, a competition gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts, and a community enterprise fitness center that is accessible to the public.
Radford University is planning to build the $97.8 million Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity in Radford, Va. Designed by Hord Coplan Macht to support an innovative pedagogy based on the integration of educational programs in the arts, health sciences, and technology, the 178,000-sf facility will offer classrooms, clinical simulation training suites, performance venues, studios, maker spaces, computer centers, and virtual and augmented reality labs.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is constructing an $80 million academic and research facility in Worcester, Mass. Designed by Gensler, the 100,000-sf building will provide interactive spaces for project-based education including flexible learning environments and innovation labs for collaborative development with industry and government partners.
Gannon University is building the Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge (I-HACK) in Erie, Pa. The $20 million project involves the renovation and expansion of an existing six-story tower to accommodate leading-edge programs in cybersecurity, cyber engineering, healthcare systems, computer-based applications, and business management. The first $13 million construction phase includes the creation of an entrance lobby on the first floor, with the second floor accommodating the Pierre McCormick Cyber Learning Center.
Highline College opened the $30 million Health and Life Sciences Building in January of 2020 in Des Moines. Designed by McGranahan Architects, the 46,000-sf facility offers flexible learning environments including classrooms, labs, faculty offices, and study spaces. Supporting a pedagogy of team-based care, the project collocates all the college’s health professions programs in a single location to enhance collaborative learning.
The University of Strathclyde is renovating Wolfson Hall to house its department of biomedical engineering. Designed by McLean Architects and Wellwood Leslie Architects, the £15.5 million project will create new teaching and research labs, flexible instructional venues, engaging spaces for interaction and collaboration, and additional offices for faculty, staff, and graduate students.
Emory Healthcare is building the 180,000-sf Emory Musculoskeletal Institute in Brookhaven, Ga. Part of the $1 billion Executive Park development, the facility will provide comprehensive orthopaedic services including spine care, physical therapy, imaging, and ambulatory surgery. The building will also include support space for clinical and discovery research.
George Mason University is planning to build a digital innovation campus in Arlington, Va. Creating a collaborative hub for research, education, and entrepreneurship, the project includes the demolition of an existing structure and the construction of a 360,500-gsf mixed-use facility and parking garage. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering, the $200 million building will house the School of Computing, the Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA), and corporate R&D labs with co-working spaces.
