Higher Education

The University of Wyoming opened the $105 million Engineering Education and Research Building (EERB) in September of 2019 in Laramie. Designed by ZGF Architects to provide maximum flexibility, the 110,000-sf facility leverages drop-down utilities and services to create reconfigurable labs for collaborative teaching and research. The four-story project features the Student Innovation Center, a maker space with prototyping, fabrication, and 3D printing technologies.

The University of Cincinnati opened the $61 million Health Sciences Building in September of 2019. Designed by Perkins+Will and Moody Nolan, the 117,000-sf facility accommodates interprofessional education programs for the College of Allied Health Sciences. A curved glass curtainwall allows abundant natural light to illuminate the four-story structure, which offers flexible lecture halls, classrooms, and labs for interactive learning.

Texas A&M University opened the $70 million headquarters of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) in September of 2019 in Bryan. Located on the RELLIS campus, the 190,000-sf facility provides advanced engineering research facilities for the creation of new transportation technologies and strategies for the optimization of infrastructure, construction materials, driver safety, and automated vehicles.

Northwestern University is continually working to grow and improve the quality of its research space inventory. A 2017 renovation and expansion of the Seeley G. Mudd Science and Engineering Library—situated in a prime location on the Evanston, Ill., campus—transformed a non-science building into a focal point of the university’s science complex. A desire to maximize research space within the constrained site resulted in a unique solution that leveraged both horizontal and vertical expansion.

BioMed Realty and the University of California, San Diego opened the $92 million Center for Novel Therapeutics in September of 2019. Located on the Science Research Park campus in San Diego, the 137,500-sf translational research facility enables investigators from the UCSD Moores Cancer Center to collaborate with pharmaceutical partners on the creation of innovative cancer treatments. The center also houses the city's first academic-industry drug discovery incubator.

Ball State University is constructing the $87.5 million Foundational Sciences Building in Muncie, Ind. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 205,000-sf facility will provide 28 teaching labs, 44 research labs, six classrooms, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, faculty offices, computer labs, an imaging suite, and a research library. The five-story interdisciplinary building was designed by RATIO Architects to offer optimal flexibility and adaptability to accommodate changing programmatic needs.

Midwestern State University opened the $40 million Centennial Hall in September of 2019 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Housing the Gunn College of Health Sciences and Human Services, the 87,000-sf facility offers an 80-person round classroom, a learning stair, a collaborative student lounge, and a full-height atrium.

Defense contractor X Corp Solutions opened the $10 million Quantico Cyber Hub in September of 2019 in Stafford, Va. The three-story, 30,000-sf facility provides state-of-the-art classrooms for cybersecurity education and training programs. The building also accommodates a certified national testing center, workshops, a cyber café, collaboration areas, administrative offices, and innovation space for the American Cyber League.

The University of Warwick is planning to build the £54.3 million Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building in Coventry in the United Kingdom. Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the 75,000-sf facility will include flexible open labs for up to 300 researchers, a 400-seat lecture hall, a café, a large public entrance, and exhibition space. The five-story building will offer a central ‘lab village’ core, with offices and collaboration zones located on the perimeter to activate the façade.

Lafayette College opened the $75 million Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center in August of 2019 in Easton, Pa. Designed by Payette to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the 103,000-sf facility houses the departments of biology, computer science, and environmental studies and science, as well as accommodating programs in neuroscience and engineering.

Towson University is planning to construct a $166 million facility for the College of Health Professions in Towson, Md. Collocating the college's undergraduate and graduate departments in a single integrated structure, the 229,000-sf facility will accommodate programs in nursing, health sciences, occupational therapy, occupational science, speech-language pathology, and audiology. The collaborative project is being designed by Perkins+Will and JMT Architecture.

The University of Lethbridge opened the CAD$280 million Science Commons in September of 2019 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Collocating the departments of biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and physics and astronomy, the transdisciplinary building provides flexible teaching and research labs, academic classrooms, meeting rooms, gathering areas, and a central atrium. Designed by Stantec and KPMB, the 387,500-sf facility includes a community education venue with interactive science displays.

The Air Force Research Laboratory will break ground in fall of 2019 on the $12 million Open Innovation Campus in Rome, N.Y. Located at Griffiss International Airport, the facility is being constructed in partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, The Griffiss Institute, and Oneida County. The project includes the renovation of a three-story, 40,000-sf building to create leading-edge research space for the study of artificial intelligence and quantum information science.

The University of Cincinnati opened the $120 million Carl H. Linder School of Business in August of 2019. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects and KZF Design, the four-story, 225,000-sf building features a three-story atrium, a 250-seat auditorium, and a 150-seat, two-story lecture hall. The collaborative structure offers flexible classrooms of various sizes, research labs, exam and tutoring areas, numerous huddle and breakout rooms, a range of open workspaces, and over 160 faculty and staff offices.

Miami Dade College opened the $56 million Center for Learning, Innovation and Simulation in September of 2019 in Miami. Designed by Kahler Slater and Harvard Jolly Architecture, the 132,000-sf facility features a simulation hospital with 15 patient rooms utilizing sophisticated mannequins for medical training. The five-story building also offers a CAVE virtual reality chamber, ten examination rooms, a home health apartment, an ambulance simulation suite, a physical therapy room, wet labs, and four student lounges.