Higher Education

Pitt Community College dedicated the $17 million Walter & Marie Williams Science Center Building in August of 2017 in Winterville, N.C. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 79,000-sf facility provides 11 labs, 10 classrooms, and a 120-seat lecture auditorium. The building also includes a biotechnology center housing a pharmaceutical training suite, a cell culture lab, a cleanroom, teaching labs, and research space. The duration of construction was two years. 

The University of Central Lancashire began construction in July of 2017 on the £30 million Engineering Innovation Centre in Preston in the United Kingdom. Featuring sophisticated laboratories and advanced instrumentation suites, the six-story facility will provide approximately 75,000 sf of integrated teaching and research space. The lead architect for the project is SimpsonHaugh in collaboration with Reiach and Hall Architects and engineering consultant BDP.

Grand Valley State University is planning to begin construction in June of 2018 on a $70 million health science facility in Grand Rapids, Mich. Designed by Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, the five-story, 160,000-sf project will support academic programs for the College of Health Professions and Kirkhof College of Nursing. The general contractor for the facility is Pioneer Construction. Occupancy is expected in May of 2021.

Whether it’s called a superlab, x-lab, or megalab, the growing trend to build combined, larger lab spaces leverages economies of scale, technology, and smart use of perimeter and adjacent space to increase flexibility and improve active student learning. While there is no standard definition of a superlab, generally speaking it is a teaching lab that can accommodate more than one section or one cohort of students.

The University of New Mexico opened the $35 million Lobo Rainforest building in August of 2017 in Albuquerque. Designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini as a living laboratory for entrepreneurial education, the six-story, 160,000-sf facility offers accommodation for 300 students, classrooms, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, videoconferencing suites, and business incubators. Representing the first phase of the Innovate ABQ research district, the building will accommodate programs for the UNM Innovation Academy, as well as

Georgia Highlands College began construction in July of 2017 on a 52,000-sf academic building in Cartersville, Ga.  Designed by Stanley Beaman & Sears, the facility will accommodate programs in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). The project, which is supported by $22.5 million in state funding, will provide laboratories, classrooms, a lecture hall, and study rooms. General contractor Juneau broke ground on the facility in April of 2017 and completion is expected by fall of 2018.

Florida Atlantic University will begin construction in fall of 2017 on the $40 million Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence in Boca Raton. Designed by HKS, the 96,000-sf project will include a sports medicine center, an indoor training facility, strength and conditioning rooms, study spaces, offices, and academic space for the MBA Sport Management program. Ground was officially broken on the complex in January of 2017 and occupancy is expected in summer of 2018.

Replacing the traditional penthouse with a ground-breaking sidehouse, the new Health Sciences Building at Canada’s Carleton University represents the latest step in the evolution of academic science facilities. Along with reflecting today’s emphasis on open labs and interdisciplinary collaboration, the building’s fresh approach to utilities distribution improves overall design, lab efficiency, and adaptability for future fit-outs and changes—all while adhering to a very tight budget and construction schedule.

Auburn University opened the $16.6 million Pharmaceutical Research Building in June of 2017 in Auburn, Ala. Providing laboratories and offices for the Harrison School of Pharmacy, the 37,000-sf facility features collaborative open research spaces that are shared by multiple faculty members. A vivarium is located on the first floor of the building, and the second floor houses the Specialized Pharmaceutical and Experimental Center for Translational Research and Analysis (SPECTRA). The duration of construction was 16 months. 

Central Michigan University will begin construction in March of 2018 on the $26 million Integrative Health Studies building. Supporting instructional programs for allied health professions, the 57,500-sf facility will provide a 150-seat auditorium, four classrooms, a simulation training center, faculty and staff offices, and discipline-specific teaching labs. Completion is expected by fall of 2019. 

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Mortenson Construction has developed an augmented reality (AR) mobile app to provide a digital representation of the new Computer Science and Engineering building (CSE2) under construction at the University of Washington in Seattle. By pointing a smartphone at the construction site, or at a printout of the site, users can experience an immersive virtual view of the main lobby, workroom, robotics lab, and offices. A preliminary version of the Mortenson AR/VR app is now available for download on iPhone and Android devices.

The University of Minnesota Duluth broke ground in July of 2017 on the $42 million Chemistry and Advanced Material Science Building (CAMS). Designed by BWBR, the 58,000-sf project will house technology-rich chemistry labs and classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, and the Advanced Materials Center, a facility supporting training programs in 3D printing and microelectronics. Faculty offices, student spaces, classrooms, and labs will be collocated on each floor of the building to promote interaction. Completion is expected in summer of 2019.

The University of California, San Diego will begin construction in summer of 2018 on the $608 million Living and Learning Neighborhood at North Torrey Pines in San Diego. The design-build project team includes HKS as lead architect and architect of record, working in collaboration with Clark Construction, associate design firm Safdie Rabines Architects, and landscape architect OJB.

The University of New South Wales will construct the $133 million Science and Engineering Building on its Kensington campus in Sydney. Designed by Grimshaw as an extension of the existing Hilmer Building, the 258,000-sf facility will provide the School of Chemical Engineering and the School of Chemistry with flexible core research labs, interactive instructional spaces, meeting rooms, and offices.