Higher Education

Bucknell University will begin construction in spring of 2018 on the $38 million Academic East facility in Lewisburg, Pa. Designed by Stantec, the 78,000-sf project will provide four classrooms and 30 offices that will be shared by the College of Engineering and the Department of Education. The facility will also house over 25 engineering labs to accommodate collaborative research on materials science, fluid mechanics, food science, and sustainable transportation to enable the development of technologies for the optimization of human health.

The Hull McKnight Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center began construction in December of 2017 on a 165,000-sf technology incubator and workforce development facility in Augusta. Slated for completion in late 2018, the five-story project is supported by $35 million in state funding and represents the center's second phase of construction. A $60 million, 167,000-sf cybersecurity research facility is currently under construction at the site and completion is expected in July of 2018.

Swarthmore College is constructing the $120 million Biology, Engineering, and Psychology Building in Swarthmore, Pa. Designed by Ballinger, the 160,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will feature flexible classrooms, labs, and common spaces to support enhanced pedagogical experiences linked to environmental sustainability. The project will be developed according to Swarthmore’s Environmental Sustainability Framework, a standard equivalent to LEED Platinum, with some elements exceeding LEED Platinum criteria.

The University of Illinois at Chicago broke ground in November of 2017 on the Engineering Innovation Building. Housing the departments of chemical engineering, mechanical and industrial engineering, civil engineering, and materials science, the 58,665-gsf (35,335-nsf) facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, student project areas, a high-bay structural research lab, a chemical engineering pilot plant, and offices for faculty and staff.

South Dakota State University is planning a $55 million expansion and renovation of its agricultural science facilities in Brookings. The project includes a $7 million renovation of the existing Berg Agricultural Hall and construction of the $32 million Precision Agriculture Facility. Featuring collaborative teaching and research labs, the new 129,000-sf structure will offer classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and industrial laboratories to support programs in precision agriculture, a modern farming approach that emphasizes efficiency, technology, and sustainability.

Towson University broke ground in December of 2017 on the $184 million New Science Complex in Towson, Md. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 316,000-sf facility will provide 50 teaching labs, 30 research labs, 50 classrooms, 10 student collaboration areas, eight lecture halls, and a vivarium. The project will also include an outdoor classroom, a planetarium, an observatory, a museum, a rain garden, and a rooftop greenhouse. The general contractor is Whiting-Turner.

Carilion Clinic is partnering with Virginia Tech on the construction of a $90 million research and teaching facility in Roanoke. Designed by AECOM, the 139,000-sf Virginia Tech Carilion Biomedical Research Expansion will provide collaborative, technology-rich laboratories and experiential learning areas.

As many institutions of higher education increase STEM offerings, the impact can be more pronounced at liberal arts colleges, because the growth in STEM typically results in new construction or renovation in their only science building. The construction of new space is most challenging in organic chemistry, where the number of fume hoods per section is a unique pedagogical requirement. To avoid disrupting a department entirely during construction, an institution can encourage students to take a course elsewhere—at a community college or nearby university partner—or to plan their schedule to avoid the downtime. But this reduces only the number of sections, not the entire need, because maintaining the faculty’s teaching ability and course’s availability to students are critical to the institutional mission. The solution is to find or create swing space.

The University of California, San Diego is planning to expand the Jacobs College of Engineering with the construction of Franklin Antonio Hall. Supported by a $30 million philanthropic contribution, the 200,000-sf facility will feature eleven collaboratories for team-based research, a 250-seat teaching auditorium, a high-bay lab, multipurpose classrooms, faculty offices, and flexible meeting rooms. Antonio Hall will be built to attain the LEED Platinum sustainable design certification or an equivalent rating. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2021.

St. Louis Community College will break ground in March of 2018 on the $39 million Center for Nursing & Health Sciences. Designed by KAI Design & Build to accommodate 11 health programs under one roof, the four-story, 96,000-sf facility will offer teaching labs, classrooms, flexible learning spaces, and a dental clinic. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which is slated for completion in fall of 2019.

The University of Arkansas dedicated the $17 million Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in November of 2017 in Fayetteville. Designed by WER Architects, the two-story, 54,000-sf facility provides researchers from the Division of Agriculture with multidisciplinary laboratories and greenhouses for the study of plant and animal science. Comprising two wings, the project includes administrative offices for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and meeting rooms to accommodate conferences and workshops.

Oregon State University is planning a $50 million expansion of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Designed by Yost Grube Hall as a model of safe construction in a tsunami inundation zone, the 72,000-sf facility will feature vertical evacuation ramps rising from ground level to the top of the structure. The project will include a three-story teaching and research building adjoining a two-story wing housing an auditorium, an innovation lab, and community space. Construction is expected to begin in spring of 2018 with occupancy in fall of 2019.

Columbia College broke ground in November of 2017 on a $50 million student center in Chicago. Designed by Gensler, the five-story, 114,000-sf project will have transparent atrium spaces located on the perimeter of the building to enhance the visibility of student activities. Providing both structured and informal interaction and learning facilities, the five-story hub will feature analog and digital makerspaces, study lofts, dance studios, a fitness center, dining areas, and an 800-person event space. Completion is expected in early 2019. 

The University of South Australia is constructing the AUD$247 million Health Innovation Building in Adelaide. Located in the Biomed City development, the 310,000-gsf facility will house the Centre for Cancer Biology, the Museum of Discovery, the Innovation and Collaboration Centre, health teaching clinics, a vivarium, and an atrium. Construction began on the 14-story project in 2015 and occupancy is expected in mid-2018.

The four-story, 191,000-gsf University Hall at University of Massachusetts Boston contains general purpose classrooms and three academic departments: art, performing arts, and chemistry. The building intentionally blends the arts and sciences to create a collaborative learning experience for students that opens the possibilities for a true ‘Renaissance’ academic engagement. University Hall establishes the academic hub of the University and brings a sense of collegial unity to the campus.