Information Technology

York University will begin construction in August of 2020 on the CAD$275.5 million Markham Centre Campus in Markham, Ontario. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, the 10-story, 400,000-sf facility will provide engaging teaching and research environments for 4,200 students, with the flexibility to respond to future growth demands. Offering a variety of interaction areas and common spaces, the collaborative building will accommodate programs in digital technologies, data analytics, business, entrepreneurship, new media, and communications.

Building automation systems (BAS), computerized maintenance management systems, data analytics software, and human motion modeling software are being reimagined to allow people to safely occupy their workspaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, by collecting data in new ways and sharing it like never before. Data can be made available on dashboards and mobile devices to inform the countless decisions occupants make in the course of their workday—including choosing a route to their office, an elevator, a desk, or a restroom—all with the lens of maintaining social distances and maximizing sanitation.

Huawei Technologies is planning to construct a $1.3 billion R&D center in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Acting as the international headquarters for the company's optoelectronics business, the 538,000-sf complex will provide research, development, and manufacturing facilities for the creation of optical devices and modules. Catalyzing the growing innovation cluster in the region, the project will be built on a 500-acre brownfield site that Huawei acquired in 2018.

Pivotal is partnering with Optum and Array Analytics to offer a live webinar at 12:00 PM (EDT) on July 29, 2020. "It's Time to Be Agile: Planning for the Future of Healthcare" will explore the integration of healthcare strategic planning with asset management and facilities planning. The session will detail ways that data can be leveraged through technology to enable health systems to quickly adapt to market transformations.

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Atlassian, a leading Australian software development company, is planning to construct a 40-story headquarters tower in Sydney. Anchoring a new technology precinct, the project is expected to be the tallest hybrid timber building in the world when it opens in 2025. Designed by SHoP Architects and BVN Architecture, the zero-emission facility will utilize only renewable energy and is targeting a 50 percent reduction in embodied carbon and energy consumption as compared to a conventional structure.

Blinn College is planning to construct a $32 million academic facility on the RELLIS Campus in Brenham, Texas. Designed by Gensler, the Phase II Building will provide classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, and labs for programs in engineering and computer science. The three-story, 75,000-sf structure will also offer gathering and interaction areas, a student services center, a food vending court, and a large meeting room. Construction is slated to begin in February of 2021 with occupancy in fall of 2022. 

The University of Salford will begin construction in summer of 2021 on the £13 million Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Automation and Robotics in the United Kingdom. Designed by 5plus architects, the 21,000-sf facility will provide a variety of instructional spaces as well as specialized labs for robotics, manufacturing, and health technologies. An automotive hub on the ground floor will accelerate the development of new transportation and mobility solutions.

Intelligent building solutions that combine building automation systems (BAS), computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart building technologies, and data analytics software are being used to reduce energy costs, optimize operations, enhance user experience, and, most recently, adhere to standards established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As these technologies and platforms converge, more buildings and campuses are leveraging systems integration to optimize resource management, establish proactive maintenance programs, automate processes, and increase productivity. 

York University is building the CAD$50.5 million School of Continuing Studies in Toronto. Acting as a gateway to the Keele Campus, the 97,000-sf building will collocate the school's programs in a single integrated facility offering 39 classrooms, breakout rooms, study spaces, student lounges, and faculty and staff offices.

Global technology company Tencent is planning to build the 320-acre Net City in Shenzhen, China. The sustainable, self-contained development is being designed by NBBJ as a fully integrated 'city of the future' sited on 21 million sf of land. Terraced structures up to 30 stories tall will be nestled in abundant green spaces connected by pedestrian and cycle routes. Rooftop photovoltaic arrays will be mounted on most facilities.

The University of Texas at San Antonio is planning to construct a $90 million facility that will house the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center. The School of Data Science will occupy 84,500 sf of classroom, lab, and office space in the structure, which will collocate the departments of computer science, computer engineering, statistics and data sciences, and information systems and cybersecurity.

Husson University broke ground in June of 2020 on the $17.2 million Center for Business in Bangor, Maine. Offering technology-rich classrooms for experiential learning, the 42,500-sf structure will feature the IEX Center, a unique facility that will leverage virtual and augmented reality modalities to deliver immersive experiences related to courses at Husson.

Siemens is offering a three-part webinar series: "Winning Projects Requiring Complex Building Technologies." Join David Weaver, Director of Smart Infrastructure at Siemens, for one, two, or all three half-hour sessions to learn how you can meet your clients' expectations and win new projects that require ever more complex and far-reaching technologies. Leveraging these innovative solutions can create the ideal user experience and enhance your reputation as a smart building contractor. Registration includes access to all three events. 

The University of Delaware began construction in April of 2020 on the $38 million FinTech building in Newark. Located on the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, the 100,000-sf facility will accelerate the development of innovative financial technologies. The six-story project, which is being created in partnership with Discover Bank and the Delaware Technology Park, will enable the university to lease space for its research programs in financial analytics, cybersecurity, data analysis, and human-machine learning.

AMS CAD + CAFM Solutions is offering a webinar on a Phase One approach to leveraging technology to assist in the gradual transition back to the workplace. "How Technology Can Help Transition Back to the Workplace" will review areas of planning an initial return of employees to the workplace and how technology can assist in many areas from seating for social distancing to hoteling and hardware.