Higher Education

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.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was facing high demand and frustration among students and faculty unable to access its more than 40 maker spaces, even during non-conventional hours. After evaluating the logistics related to those spaces, totaling 120,000 sf, they developed a new app that illuminates the existing maker spaces, then enlisted the help of student volunteers to oversee some spaces into the evening. MIT also plans to add another 20,000 sf of functional space.

Texas A&M University is building a $46 million STEM education facility in San Antonio. Designed by Stantec to support programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 136,000-sf facility will provide 25 classrooms and 12 laboratories, including teaching labs for biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. The building will house the Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement as well as accommodating the study of microscopy, genetics, metabolism, physiology, and ecology.

Sheffield Hallam University is planning to construct the £14 million Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in the United Kingdom. Designed by HLM Architects as a leading-edge research and development hub for the study of physical activity, the facility will feature a 3D gait analysis and scanning lab; an advanced sports pitch with cameras and tracking technologies; a 25-foot-high indoor lab; a manufacturing workshop; and physiological imaging and measuring suites.

The University System of New Hampshire has selected Sightlines to perform a comprehensive Facility Condition Assessment and lifecycle study of core buildings on the four campuses that comprise the system, which includes approximately 9.6 million gsf of educational facilities and supporting infrastructure.

The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education opened the $40 million, 102,000-sf College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith in July of 2017. Construction will begin in spring of 2018 on a $20 million, 60,000-sf health science building accommodating physician-assistant, master-nursing, and post-baccalaureate programs. Completion is expected in fall of 2020. A $6 million student housing complex will also be built. 

Virtual and augmented reality are bringing new learning experiences to today’s medical students—and their campuses. The building boom is part of a revolution in the way medicine is taught. Today, medical students often learn with sophisticated mannequins, computer models, and collaborative electronic projects. Now, some schools are taking the technology a step further, building immersive environments where the doctors, nurses, and dentists of tomorrow can experience real medical settings and explore human anatomy in three dimensions.

Metropolitan State University of Denver opened the $60 million Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building in June of 2017. Featuring collaborative learning spaces, technology-rich labs, and a public-private enterprise center, the 117,000-sf facility will support an interdisciplinary curriculum integrating aerospace science, industrial design, computer science, information technology, and civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering.

Vanderbilt University broke ground in June of 2017 on a $26.3 million expansion of the School of Nursing in Nashville. The five-story, 30,000-sf structure will house technology-rich classrooms, conference and seminar rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and a clinical simulation training lab. The project team includes Hastings Architecture Associates, civil engineer Barge Cauthen & Associates, mechanical and electrical engineer Smith Seckman Reid, and general contractor D.F. Chase.

A post-occupancy evaluation for a new engineering facility at the University of Kansas (KU) illuminates the ways physical space influences STEM students’ experiences, and sets new standards for effectively studying project outcomes. According to Tim Reynolds, a principal with the Science & Technology studio of national architecture firm TreanorHL, “Too often, post-occupancy evaluations tend to be rather shallow—focused on things like lighting and furniture rather than actual program experience.

The RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center at Rutgers University is under construction in Piscataway, N.J. Supporting a world-class sports medicine program, the four-story, 295,000-sf facility will also include state-of-the-art practice facilities for men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics. The collaboration includes RWJBarnabas becoming the exclusive health care provider for Rutgers Athletics, as well as developing and managing the sports medicine curriculum and research activities.

High Point University will complete construction in summer of 2017 on the $120 million Congdon Hall in High Point, N.C. Housing the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, the 224,000-sf facility will feature a human biomechanics and physiology lab, a virtual reality and clinical gait analysis lab, advanced simulation training suites, and standardized client areas for interprofessional education. Congdon Hall was designed to support a variety of pedagogical styles to promote collaborative learning.