The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston opened a $15 million facility for the School of Biomedical Informatics in December of 2018. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the two-story, 44,709-sf project is the first freestanding school of biomedical informatics in the United States and was constructed on top of an existing parking garage.
Heriot Watt University is planning to construct the National Robotarium in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. Created in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the £100 million innovation hub will support research and development on robotics and autonomous systems as well as providing instruction and training facilities for computational science programs. The project is an integral part of the region’s Data Driven Innovation (DDI) initiative that aims to establish the area as the data capital of Europe. Occupancy is expected in 2021.
The University of Houston-Victoria is building the $28 million Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Building in Victoria, Texas. Designed by SmithGroup, the three-story, 58,464-sf facility will provide robotics and gaming labs, software development suites, motion capture rooms, a 120-seat classroom, and an immersive media lab with a 210-degree screen.
Georgia Southern University broke ground in December of 2018 on the $50 million Center for Engineering and Research in Statesboro. Designed by SmithGroup and Stevens & Wilkinson to promote interaction and collaboration, the three-story, 135,000-sf facility will provide a centralized home for the departments and disciplines of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing.
Pensacola State University broke ground in November of 2018 on a $34 million STEM facility to replace the Mary Ellison Baars Building in Pensacola, Fla. The first phase of the project includes construction of the $13 million east wing to accommodate programs in cybersecurity, computer science, advanced manufacturing, mathematics, and aviation maintenance. The three-story, 25,400-sf structure is being built by Ajax Building Corporation and completion is expected in May of 2020.
Virginia Tech is planning to build a $1 billion innovation campus in Alexandria. Strategically sited near Amazon's new National Landing headquarters, the project will provide one million square feet of teaching and research space for graduate programs in computer science, software engineering, data analytics, cybersecurity, and technology and policy. The campus will also include residential amenities and space for collaboration with industry partners. The development team includes the City of Alexandria and Stonebridge Associates.
Florida Southern College broke ground in November of 2018 on the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Computer Sciences Center in Lakeland. Designed by Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker to complement existing campus buildings by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the project will accommodate new programs in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, informatics, and logistics. The facility will offer 10,000 sf of academic space, a 3,000-sf auditorium, and a food hall. The general contractor for the project is Rodda Construction.
Peking University is planning to construct a 169-acre campus for research and development in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Supporting interdisciplinary programs in computer science and engineering, the project will represents a significant expansion of Peking University's existing footprint into the Changping district. Artificial intelligence is a central theme of the country's Made in China 2025 initiative which aims to develop the knowledge and talent base to support an internationally competitive manufacturing industry.
Harvey Mudd College will begin construction in 2019 on the $30 million McGregor Computer Science Center. The three-story, 36,000-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs, faculty offices, clinic and project studios, robotics labs, a leading-edge AV production suite, conference rooms, and collaboration areas. The building will also include a maker space with sophisticated equipment including laser cutters and 3D printers. The repositioned Libra Complex, which currently houses engineering machine shops, will be linked to the new center.
Gannon University is planning a cybersecurity research and teaching building in Erie, Pa. The $20 million project includes the renovation of Knight Tower to create a leading-edge computer science facility offering classrooms, a secure data center, and labs for the study of defense, hacking, and internet devices. Housing the Institute of Health and Cyber Knowledge, the six-story IHACK building will support the school's new majors in cyber engineering and cybersecurity. Two floors of the building will provide up to 40,000 sf of leased space for industry partners.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is planning to build the Schwarzman College of Computing in Cambridge. Accommodating programs in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the interdisciplinary facility is supported by $1 billion in funding, which includes an endowment for the creation of 50 new faculty positions and the development of computing resources across the university. The project is expected to provide between 150,000 and 165,000 sf of laboratory and office space to house 65 faculty members, their research groups, and affiliated staff.
Boston University will begin construction in spring of 2020 on the 350,000-sf Data Sciences Center. The 17-story facility will be located on the Charles River Campus and will collocate the departments of statistics, mathematics, and computer science. The center will feature terraced platforms with whiteboard walls and a collaboration ramp to promote interaction and innovation. The structure is comprised of a four-story podium topped by 13 floors, with MEP systems located in additional basement and penthouse levels.
Western Colorado University began construction in September of 2018 on the 75,000-sf Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering in Gunnison. Created in partnership with the University of Colorado and funded by a donation of $80 million, the facility will provide sophisticated instrumentation suites, laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls, collaboration spaces, faculty offices, and a central gallery with a canted glass curtainwall. Farnsworth Group is providing architectural, MEP, structural, and landscape design services.
Built On Vision released a cloud-based construction schedule calculation engine in August of 2018. The project management software utilizes a proprietary smart algorithm that resolves a problem of similar applications related to imprecise time unit measurements. Instead of using only the hour or the day as the calculation base, Built On Vision allows users the ability to shape schedule unit fraction behavior so that event sequences can be accurately understood and planned for, enabling greater project delivery optimization, as well as legal defensibility.
Mercyhurst University opened the MCPc Cyber Education Center in August of 2018 in Erie, Pa. Accommodating programs for the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences, the $2 million facility houses MCPc's Security Operations Center as well as providing two computer mathematics labs, a cybersecurity lab, and several collaboration areas. Designed by Keyman Asefi, a faculty member in the department of Interior Architecture and Design, the 8,000-sf center is located on the ground floor of Hammermill Library.
