Higher Education

A leader in the field of plant sciences, Iowa State University, in Ames, Iowa, is recognized as a pipeline of new ideas and talent for the state’s massive agriculture industry. Yet despite explosive growth in biosciences enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, the most recent biosciences building was 30 years old and “bursting at the seams,” says Mark Rhoades, chief design officer and principal, The S/L/A/M Collaborative.

Texas A&M University opened the $73 million Center for Infrastructure Renewal in April of 2018. Located on the RELLIS campus in Bryan, the 138,000-sf project accommodates research in nine critical infrastructure sectors: transportation systems, communications, advanced manufacturing, smart energy, information technology, chemicals, nuclear reactors, materials and waste, and water and wastewater systems.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney broke ground in May of 2018 on the $30 million Discovery Hall. Replacing the existing Otto Olsen building, the collaborative 90,000-sf facility will accommodate programs in mathematics, engineering, physics and astronomy, construction management, industrial distribution, interior design, aviation, and computer sciences and information technology. The interdisciplinary STEM building will provide technology-rich labs and classrooms, a full-motion simulator, and an ITEC Testing Center.

The University of Edinburgh opened the £23 million Charnock Bradley Building in May of 2018 in Scotland. Located on the Easter Bush campus, the 75,000-sf facility is part of the school's master plan to create the European Centre of Excellence in Animal Sciences and Food Security. Designed by Atkins Global, the project houses teaching labs, student services, exhibition space, and the Roslin Innovation Centre, a business incubator with research and office space for startups and industry partners.

The University of Illinois broke ground in late April of 2018 on the $48 million Siebel Center for Design in Champaign. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the two-story, 59,000-sf facility will act as a campus-wide hub for human-centered design thinking and learning. Connecting the north and south areas of campus, the multidisciplinary center will feature five team-based collaboration studios, accommodating a total of 400 students, and a large workshop for 3D printing, fabrication, CNC machining, and laser and water-jet cutting.

Bentley University has been awarded LEED Platinum sustainable design certification for the $45 million Bentley Arena in Waltham, Mass. Designed by Architectural Resources Cambridge, the 76,000-sf project is the only standalone ice arena in the nation to have attained LEED Platinum. The multipurpose facility includes a glass-walled function room, a sports medicine center, state-of-the-art locker rooms, strength and conditioning suites, and a student-run media control room.

Manhattan College broke ground in late April of 2018 on the Patricia and Cornelius Higgins Engineering and Science Center in New York City. Designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects, the three-story, 30,000-sf facility will feature a grand atrium, collaborative learning spaces, and 14 technology-rich labs for teaching and research. Physically connected to a refurbished Leo Hall and adjacent to the existing Research and Learning Center, the project will offer a total of 140,000 sf of academic space for engineering and the sciences.

The University of Cambridge opened a £60 million facility for the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology in April of 2018 in the United Kingdom. Designed by BDP to promote collaboration and interaction, the 118,400-sf facility features a central atrium, BSL-2 and BSL-3 biological laboratories, cleanrooms, laser labs, optical and imaging suites, and a magnetic resonance research center.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro broke ground in April of 2018 on the $105 million Nursing and Instructional Building. Accommodating STEM programs for the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Health and Human Sciences, and the College of Nursing, the five-story, 180,000-sf facility will provide simulation training suites, classrooms, research labs, faculty offices, and teaching labs for biology, chemistry, and anatomy. Occupancy is expected in summer of 2020. A new chiller plant will also be constructed.

The University of Michigan broke ground in April of 2018 on the $75 million Ford Motor Company Robotics Building in Ann Arbor. Located on the North Campus, the four-story, 140,000-sf facility will provide the College of Engineering with collaborative research and development labs, classrooms, offices, high-bay spaces, a three-story fly zone for autonomous aerial vehicles, and an outdoor obstacle course for walking robots. Ford Motor Company will occupy a laboratory on the top floor of the building and is providing $15 million in funding for the project.

The University of Washington broke ground in April of 2018 on the $230 million Population Health Building in Seattle. Designed by The Miller Hull Partnership to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the 290,000-sf facility will house the Department of Global Health, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and a portion of the School of Public Health. The project is being constructed using a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) delivery method with Lease Crutcher Lewis as construction manager.

Louisiana State University opened the 410,000-sf Patrick F. Taylor Hall in April of 2018 in Baton Rouge. Housing the College of Engineering, the $114 million project included construction of the 110,000-sf Chemical Engineering Building Addition and renovation of the existing 300,000-sf structure.

The University at Albany broke ground in April of 2018 on the $180 million Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex (ETEC) in Albany, N.Y. Designed by CannonDesign to foster collaboration with industry partners, the 245,000-sf facility will house UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity; the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences; the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center; and the New York State Mesonet, the nation’s most advanced weather-detection system.

Mercer University dedicated the $44 million Spearman C. Godsey Science Center in April of 2018 in Macon, Ga. Designed by Leo A Daly and Hussey Gay Bell to support collaboration and learning in motion, the four-story, 143,410-sf undergraduate facility provides 60 laboratories, 46 offices, seven lecture rooms, classrooms, and breakout spaces.

Central Michigan University broke ground in April of 2018 on the $26 million Center for Integrated Health Studies in Mount Pleasant. Supporting allied health programs for the delivery of team-based, interdisciplinary care, the 50,000-sf project will feature the Interpersonal Education Center housing a two-room simulation suite with advanced mannequins, as well as eight patient exam rooms for interactive scenario training.