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University Science & Engineering Facilities 2025 (Spring)

This conference focuses on planning, design, and construction of higher education research and education facilities for science, engineering, and emerging technology programs in AI, high performance computing, manufacturing, materials, and robotics.

Speaking application deadline: October 11, 2024. 

Space Types:

  • High growth programs: A.I., data sciences, robotics, applied science and engineering
  • Basic sciences and engineering
  • Applied sciences and engineering
  • Research facilities 
  • Health sciences
  • Classrooms, class labs, and project space
  • Maker space
  • Innovation hubs and entrepreneurship space

Institutional Priorities:

  1. Identify new space allocation and utilization metrics and benchmarks
  2. Improve capital project execution – construction costs, timing, contracts, delivery strategies
  3. Increase flexibility and optimum use of facilities
  4. Improve decarbonization initiatives
  5. Support convergence of the sciences, technology, and engineering programs and space
  6. Increase research laboratory capacity and improve lab environments 
  7. Support student engagement, project development, and entrepreneurship
  8. Stimulate collaboration and connectivity 
  9. Raise the efficiency and effectiveness of resource use – space, budgets, and technology

Solutions:

  • Space allocation, metrics, and layouts for labs, classrooms, support space, and offices
  • Improved space utilization
  • Renovation and modernization of outdated facilities 
  • Successful decarbonization initiatives
  • Strategies for sharing resources
  • Capital project and construction management processes that lower costs and optimize outcomes
  • Repurposing non-science space for applied sciences and engineering programs
  • Inceasing student engagement and interaction
  • Programming, design, and construction of new buildings 
  • Facility flexibility and adaptability for shared use and rapidly changing programs
  • New classroom configurations for hybrid learning, active learning, team-based education 
  • Research labs and multidisciplinary research facilities
  • Mixed teaching and research facilities; Interdisciplinary research facility plans
  • Integrating data-science based programs with exisiting and new research space 
  • Facility features for student and researcher recruitment 
  • Maker space and project lab plans
  • Highly specialized space: Cleanroom, cGMP, imaging, robotics, etc. 
  • Decision-making on renovation vs. building new
  • Transparency and enabling visual connections
  • Integrating student innovation and entrepreneurship programs  
  • Effective social and informal learning space
  • Building vibration controls, EMI, and equipment precision safeguards
  • High-efficiency, low-cost mechanical system solutions
  • Environmental control systems and sensors: Occupancy, acoustics, air quality, temperature, humidity
  • Building automation systems and facility technology implementation
  • Energy reduction, water conservation, and sustainability strategies
  • Lower construction and operation costs