Cardiff University will work with the London office of global architecture firm HOK to design the new $110 million Translational Research Facility. The 129,000-square-foot research hub will accommodate two planned institutes: Cardiff Catalysis Institute and the Institute for Compound Semiconductors.

“We are delighted to have been selected by Cardiff University to design this visionary new research facility,” said Adrian Gainer, regional leader of Science + Technology based in HOK’s London office, in a statement. “We look forward to creating cutting-edge facilities that will reinforce the university’s international reputation as a leading catalysis research center and build on its strengths in the development of semiconductor devices and materials.”

Cardiff University has embarked on a comprehensive expansion of its existing campus, according to a statement by HOK. By focusing on innovation, the university hopes to engage with the private sector to generate commercial revenue streams to support significant research programs. By also working in partnership with key stakeholders and investing in facilities and people, the university hopes to become a magnet for enterprise, creativity and innovation. The Translational Research Facility in particular will support multidisciplinary research, turning academic research and innovation into practical, real-world applications delivering benefits for society, healthcare, culture and the economy, according to a statement by the university.

“We are looking forward to working with HOK to deliver the Translational Research Facility, which will act as a crucible for the university’s innovative translational research,” said Professor Hywel Thomas, pro vice-chancellor of research, innovation and engagement at Cardiff University, in a statement. “Innovation is our lifeblood and runs through all we do. Creating the Innovation Campus will help leading researchers and entrepreneurial students turn research into real world answers, bringing social and economic benefits to Wales and beyond.”

As a whole, the new campus will also reinvigorate the former industrial space for which it is planned into a cutting-edge campus. In addition to the Translational Research Facility, the campus will include the Social Science Research Park, which would act as a magnet for national and international research leaders, and increase capacity for research and collaborative learning; the Innovation Center, which will offer start-up companies high-quality, affordable space, advice and support; and the Research Institute for Compound Semiconductor Technology, which would demonstrate and test compound semiconductor technology in realistic environments.
Further plans for the new campus include a practitioners/innovators-in-residence program, high-level training and skills development for postgraduate students and the development of existing enterprise education and opportunities to strengthen the culture of entrepreneurial and innovative thinking among students, according to a statement by the university.

HOK will specifically provide architectural and lead consultant services for the Translational Research Facility. Other project team members include the UK offices of Englewood, Colo.-headquartered CH2M, which is providing mechanical, electrical, structural and civil engineering services; Buro Four of London, which is providing project management services; and cost consultant Faithful and Gould of London. HOK has also been awarded Phase II of the development, which has not yet been defined.
 

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The innovative interdisciplinary research center, designed by the Chicago office of HOK with the building enclosure by James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA) of New York, is located on the university’s main campus south of downtown Chicago. It includes state-of-the-art laboratories, offices, conference rooms, a 150-seat conference facility and a café. Five floors above grade provide flexibility and infrastructure for a variety of different lab types ranging from optics to chemistry. To isolate highly specialized labs from vibration and electromagnetic interference, two of the center’s seven floors are below grade.

The center also houses the university’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, the Institute for Molecular Engineering and the Dean’s Office of Physical Sciences. World-leading research teams working across multiple disciplines in the fields of chemical, electrical, mechanical and biological engineering as well as more traditional materials and physical sciences, now call the state-of-the-art facility home.

“We are proud to contribute to the University of Chicago’s commitment to building on its position as a leader in world-changing research through the development of this new Eckhardt Center,” said Rebecca Nolan, IIDA, LEED AP, managing principal for HOK in Chicago, in a statement. “This is a significant addition to an historic urban campus and to the global scientific community.”

“The diversity of research that takes place here extends from the smallest scale possible to the largest imaginable, ranging from molecular manipulation to increasing our understanding of the universe,” added Bill Odell, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, director of science and technology for HOK. “This building is a true nexus for transformative, interdisciplinary discovery.”

Carefully planned interaction spaces include a large conference facility, pre- and post-event space, a café, light-filled hallways and corner collaboration areas with open views. Each floor is considered a neighborhood, with a home base at the north end providing the largest gathering spaces. On the building’s top floor, an open balcony provides a view of the Chicago skyline to the north. Physically connecting the building to two adjacent research buildings further supports collaboration, and the main lobby provides a link to a new landscaped quadrangle designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.

“The University of Chicago scientists and engineers who participated in the design process emphasized to us that, in addition to creating opportunities for formal collaboration, chance interactions and the ability for researchers, faculty and students to have conversations in informal settings are invaluable,” said Mickey Collins, AIA, LEED AP, HOK’s project manager, in a statement. “Our team designed every aspect of the Eckhardt Research Center to foster the type of interdisciplinary collaboration required to generate scientific breakthroughs.”

The highly sustainable facility also serves to help link users to nature and light. For example, the dynamic envelope design is based on revealing light as an expression of nature. Each facade is uniquely responsive to the site, harnessing light as an organizing principle for the building’s performance and human experience. To support the center’s mission to drive the research and development of renewable and environmental resources, sustainability is integrated into the building, which is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.

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Upon completion, the new three-story Center for Healthcare Education will offer specialized single-profession services and a collaborative, holistic approach to treating pediatric through geriatric populations, according to a statement by the university. This will include state-of-the-art simulation labs, immersive learning environments and educational spaces as well as clinic space to serve the nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and health sciences programs all under one roof. More space will also be allotted for teaching, clinical and skills labs as well as supporting classroom and office space to accommodate personnel projections and study and social space. Additionally, the building will offer a simulation suite, theater style instructional spaces, a dining hall and an Interprofessional Outpatient Clinic.

To further improve healthcare professions education at Sacred Heart University, enhanced athletic training, human performance and motion analysis labs will provide up-to-the-minute learning environments for the exercise science and athletic training programs, according to a statement by the university. These will be used for developing clinical skills and evidenced-based practices and to support faculty and student research, while the equipment will prepare students for careers in related patient care fields and cheap quality medicines. In addition, the speech and language pathology program will have labs to teach the use of diagnostic instruments and software, and to provide an environment for supervised clinical activities.

“The new facility with its larger space will expand significantly on the amount of space available for practice and learning,” said Mary Alice Donius, who will be dean of the new College of Nursing, in a statement. “There will be exciting opportunities for our nursing students — not only to practice on our state-of-the-art manikins and actors, but to collaborate on cases with students in the other health professional disciplines. This will ensure that students in all the disciplines will be prepared for the kinds of interactions they will experience when they begin to work in professional health care settings.”

The university selected the Glastonbury, Conn. office of The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) to provide design, cost estimating, structural engineering, landscape architecture, programming and planning in order to create the necessary teaching space for current and projected enrollment, experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration between departments.

“The new Center for Healthcare Education takes a huge leap forward in the use of cutting edge simulation technologies and experiential learning in all areas to improve the learning outcomes of the health professions students,” said Richard Herzer, SLAM principal and the project’s lead designer, in a statement. “At the same time, the design complements high technology with a range of informal study and social spaces throughout the three visually connected floors to promote personal choice and individual academic success in these highly skilled, highly technical fields.”

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Stephen Penhoet AIA, LEED AP, associate principal and project manager of the project, spoke to School Construction News about the new facility for George Mason University. Penhoet works in the Washington, D.C., office of New York-based Perkins Eastman, the architect on the project.

Q: What is the project’s main goal?

Penhoet: George Mason University’s College of Health & Human Services is currently located in an aging, undersized building and needs to consolidate its growing program in a larger, dedicated facility that will be seen as a model for future campus buildings. The university is also dramatically short of correctly sized and equipped classrooms, and Academic VII will incorporate numerous classrooms that support the latest theories and techniques in current teaching pedagogies. Finally, the building and its surrounding site development is key in completing a new north gateway as part of the new North Sector Master Plan for the Fairfax campus. Once Health and Human Services vacates their current buildings (located in the heart of the campus), the university will either fully rehabilitate or replace them.

Q: What are some of the building’s key design elements?

Penhoet: The building’s overall massing defines a new, formal entry to the university from the north and features a courtyard that faces the oldest parts of the campus to the south. Additionally, the proportions of the building reflect best sustainability practices and allow for the most advantageous solar exposure. The interior is organized along an east-west spine that promotes formal and informal interaction between students, faculty and staff and allows for views to the adjacent open green space. There are a variety of uses in the building including student administration, classrooms, offices, laboratories, medical clinical suites, a cafe and teaching kitchens. Finally, the building features heights — at two-, three- and five-story sections — that house diverse program elements, providing variety in the overall massing as well as creating separate, identifiable entries and uses.

Q: What about the project stands out compared to others you have completed?

Penhoet: The design process has involved many more stakeholders, users and facilities managers than one would find in a typical higher education facility, and the programming effort of interviews, space planning and owner coordination was detailed and lengthy. The project is also unusual in that the building advances sustainable design aspects from what had been proposed in Perkins Eastman’s Master Plan for the new North Sector by adjustments in orientation, glazing and material palette. The design also establishes a new, large outdoor courtyard designed for informal study, group gatherings and university events.

Q: How does designing for health sciences compare to designing for other educational departments?

Penhoet: The College of Health and Human Services features a School of Nursing that has its own classroom, simulation, IT and conference room requirements. Additionally, the project includes the college’s clinical research facility, which hosts a strong public outreach program for clinical research, public education and student recruitment. Academic VII’s planning and layout is intentionally inviting for all members of the university as well as the general public, and has an open, inviting character, supporting easy access on all sides.

Q: What feedback did you receive from faculty and students, and how was it incorporated into the design?

Penhoet: The review process by all of the stakeholders was very thorough and students, faculty and staff were invited to comment on the program and design during the early phases. In general, the entire university community is excited about the prospect of a new, state-of-the-art facility that will enhance and define a new front door for the Fairfax campus and will set a new standard for sustainability, flexibility and long-term value.

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The energy efficient Science Building, constructed by McCarthy Building Companies of Atlanta, will provide the school with ample new high-tech instruction and research space critical for the Natural Sciences Department, as the university has grown from 4,675 students in 2001 to more than 7,200 students today, according to a statement by project architect The S/L/A/M Collaborative Inc. (SLAM) of Atlanta. Thus far, university officials have been required to use waiting lists for lab courses due to the high demand from students and the low inventory of available lab classrooms.

With the addition of the new three-story Science Building, Clayton State can now offer 19 instructional labs, nine research labs, two new 64-seat classrooms and two new 36-seat classrooms. The building also houses offices and support spaces, a vivarium, mechanical penthouse, mechanical basement and a loading dock. It is designed as a modern home for the sciences complete with stacked biology and chemistry suites which integrate research, prep and teaching labs, according to SLAM.

Located near a small pond on the hilly campus, the new Science Building takes advantage of its natural setting, absorbing daylight from across the water via glazed areas in the public spaces. Sustainable initiatives include sun shading, daylight harvesting, and use of recycled materials and rainwater.

Reflective of its goal to promote scientific innovation and education, the Science Building was also designed to achieve Georgia Peach Green Building certification. This certification recognizes facilities owned or managed by the State of Georgia that optimize energy performance, increase the demand for local materials and furnishings, improve environmental quality, conserve energy, protect Georgia’s natural resources and reduce the burden on the state’s water supply, according to a statement by McCarthy.

“Engaging undergraduate students in research is an essential part of their preparation for careers in the natural sciences and health sciences,” said Dr. Tim Hynes, president of Clayton State University, in a statement. “The innovative laboratory teaching spaces in this building will expand our support of undergraduate research projects where faculty and students work side-by-side in the learning and exploration process. Providing these opportunities not only benefit those in our science majors, they also impact allied health students and every student on campus who takes a lab science course for their core requirements.”

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Composed of the newly renovated 45,000-square-foot Condike Wing (part of the Condike Science Building) and a more than 55,000-square-foot addition — including a 3,000-square-foot structure linking the two — the facility spans more than 100,000 square feet. The Condike Science Building was originally constructed in the 1960s, and was renovated and expanded to provide students with a new integrated science facility for the chemistry, biology, physics and geophysical science disciplines. Though the building itself was solidly built, its mechanical and electrical systems were past their prime and the structure was no longer suited for today’s science education.

Following the overhaul and expansion, the new Antonucci Science Complex includes modern, state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory amenities, as well as an auditorium-style lecture hall. The building’s design focuses on a “shared science” program that encourages collaborative approaches to science instruction.

The first new academic facility on the Fitchburg State campus since 1963, the complex was funded by the Commonwealth through the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, designed by CBT Architects of Boston, and built by construction management and general contracting firm Bond of Everett, Mass.

Work on the complex began in 2010 and was completed in two phases. The topographically challenging site required extensive enabling prior to the construction of the addition, according to a statement by Bond. Once the facility’s expansion was complete, the construction team used the addition as swing space to allow for renovations. The design and construction teams worked collaboratively to deliver the project using Building Information Modeling (BIM). This facilitated the smooth integration of complex laboratory MEP systems into the building, and provided many budgeting, scheduling and constructability insights throughout the project.

“The Antonucci Science Complex epitomizes a 21st century atmosphere for learning,” said Robert Murray, Bond president, in a statement. “Bond is thrilled to provide the Fitchburg State campus with a modern building designed to match the ever-changing needs of the university’s scientific curriculum.”

Named after former Fitchburg State University President Robert Antonucci, who served in the role for 12 years before his June 2015 retirement, and wife Jeanne Antonucci, the facility is a testament to the couple’s commitment to the university. Much of President Antonucci’s tenure was devoted to improving campus facilities, infrastructure and technology through a number of capital improvement projects, and to developing an up-to-date strategic plan. Both President Antonucci and Jeanne Antonucci also earned degrees from the university.

“The science complex is a fitting symbol of President and Mrs. Antonucci’s leadership and service to Fitchburg State,” Board of Trustees Chairman Martin F. Connors Jr. said in an April 2015 statement. “Their devotion to the institution and its students is legendary, and we are honored that this magnificent building will bear their names.”

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The increased demand for access to the allied health professions programs as well as basic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses required by other degree programs has greatly increased pressure on the existing laboratory facilities, according to a statement by SmithGroupJJR. Additionally, the intense use of the facilities, coupled with Cowley Hall’s aging infrastructure, has made it increasingly difficult to accommodate students and deliver modern instruction.

The first phase of the project will establish a new 180,000-square-foot building located immediately north of Cowley Hall to house the instructional and research labs for the university’s physical and life sciences programs. Cowley Hall’s classrooms, lecture halls and faculty offices will remain operational during construction of the initial phase. Phase I is currently in preliminary design stages and construction is estimated to complete in 2018. LEED certification is targeted.

“This facility will alleviate the pressure on current laboratories that are unable to accommodate the level or intensity of use that is needed,” said Tony LoBello, SmithGroupJJR Learning Studio leader, in a statement. “With more than 85 percent of the building dedicated to instructional and research labs, the new facility will address the critical, immediate needs of students and researchers.”

Demolition work will comprise much of the project’s second phase, leveling Cowley Hall. A new 148,000-square-foot structure containing classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, offices, conference rooms and other ancillary departmental and building support areas will take its place and connect to the soon-to-be-built Phase I structure.

Upon completion of the project, the University will have a distinctive new home for science instruction and include the departments of biology, chemistry, geography/earth science, mathematics, microbiology, physics, river studies and the offices of the dean of the College of Science and Health.

Construction of the new instructional science facility is one of several campus projects in various stages of development. In September the university announced that more than $241 million in major building projects are currently underway, including a new residence hall and an expansion of the existing student recreation facility. Construction of a new student union will begin this spring, and the school’s SmithGroupJJR-designed $44.5 million New Education Building was just completed earlier this year.
 

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The four-story, 169,000-square-foot CMU Biosciences Building is the largest capital project in the school’s 120-year history. It will provide students and faculty with opportunities for meaningful hands-on research, and will help the school attract top teaching talent.

The building will include standard features such as an auditorium, informal meeting areas and an active learning classroom in an open floor plan designed for adaptability, resource sharing and collaboration. However, as it will house research and instruction on everything from organismal biology to ecology, the facility will also offer more specialized spaces.

Included in the design are a vivarium, which replicates aquatic conditions for research purposes; a molecular biology core; a biosafety level 3 laboratory for infectious disease research; an isotope laboratory, an imaging center for scanning and transmission electron microscopes; an herbarium; and a staging and processing storage areas for ecological fieldwork. These top-level facilities will allow for research on delicate species and pressing environmental issues without disturbing or impacting natural habitats.

Environmental sustainability was also key to the building’s design. Built to achieve LEED Silver certification, the new CMU Biosciences Building will balance safety and energy efficiency. Features like fritted glass will reduce solar heat gain, while a rainwater capture system will feed directly into a series of bio-chambers, supporting ecosystem research and education.

In a speech at the building’s Sept. 15 groundbreaking ceremony, CMU President George E. Ross remarked that the building would dramatically improve the quality and the quantity of structural learning and scientific research on the school’s campus. “It will foster an important contribution to Michigan’s economic goals and emphasize cell and molecular biology, biotechnology and other emerging disciplines, as well as enhancing the strong existing programs in biosciences at CMU,” Foster said.

“We can’t wait for our students to use the active learning spaces in our new teaching labs so they can practice science in their classes,” added Chair of the university’s department of biology, Tracy Galarowicz. “We look forward to seeing our students walk through the doors and see the living wall, the aquarium, the study spaces and know that this is a place…to study biology.”

The new facility is also a response to the university’s growing student body. Undergraduate majors at CMU have increased 210 percent in the last decade alone, while tenure-track faculty have increased more than 70 percent. Additionally, the university has seen external grant funding increase more than tenfold in the same time frame.

The Detroit office of SHW Group, a design, engineering and planning firm that is currently merging with Stantec, is the project’s lead architectural firm. Clark Construction Co. of Lansing will serve as the construction manager. Construction is slated for completion in September 2016, and classes will likely begin in the new facility in January 2017.

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The Durham, N.C.-based firm won a university-hosted design competition with its inspiring design that merged NC State’s existing student union building with contemporary form. The design team, led by Associate Principal Jay Smith, AIA, LEED AP and Senior Associate Scott Shell, AIA, LEED AP, maintained much of the 1970s-era student union facility, while doubling its square footage. Upon completion, the new Talley Student Union will offer 283,000 square feet of student life space.

“We ultimately maintained a significant portion of the existing building’s structure by generating concepts that allowed the addition of space outside the building footprint and the renovation of spaces within,” Smith said. “The driving concept was to bring students and visitors into the building’s core — a four-story atrium that links the union’s major program spaces — where they experience its full volume.”

Increasing entry points was also a key goal for the new union, which will serve as a crucial campus connector. In planning for more student traffic, it became clear the ground-level loading dock adjacent to the original building entrance had to go. Instead, the Duda|Paine team developed a subterranean loading dock, a first for the university, that de-cluttered the primary entrance and increased safety for pedestrians. The move required a substantial amount of coordination and extensive early design and configuration to ensure operational functionality and safety, according to Shell.

“The placement of a loading dock has significant impact on how a building will be serviced and maintained,” Smith added. “By shifting the loading dock below grade, we freed space to enlarge the facility’s footprint and greatly expand areas for students and student services.”

The renovation also affected ongoing operations in areas such as the theatre and student bookstore. “Part of the design was to determine how best to maintain operations in some spaces during building construction,” Shell said. “A great deal of consideration went into phasing the building and sequencing the construction process to maintain necessary operations as long as possible.” The team planned two distinct construction phases, including the creation of a temporary bookstore at another location.

Upon completion, the bookstore will rejoin the main student union, which includes a renovated 800-seat auditorium and a new 1,200-person divisible ballroom, as well as double the original dining options and meeting spaces. A 50,000-gallon water collection cistern, rain gardens and reconfigured transportation areas will be integrated into the design, which targets LEED Silver certification.

The Talley Student Union’s modern approach is characterized by a soaring Technology Tower and high-performance glass and curtain wall systems, which reflect the university’s commitment to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) principles. The Technology Tower also serves as a key landmark for the building and the university. These exterior aesthetics echo the original design goal of bringing people into a central space and allowing them to experience the building both vertically and horizontally, according to Smith.

In contrast, the building’s opposite side was scaled down. With warm-colored construction materials such as horizontal terra cotta louvers, this area reflects the university’s foundation in earth-based sciences. These two spaces merge seamlessly within the atrium, which will be a hub of student life and feature a wood art installation of the school’s mascot.

“The two sides of the building come together in that central space, which serves as a physical and metaphorical bridge between the two foundational aspects of the university,” Smith said.

Additional firms contributing to the project include interior architect Cooper Carry, student life planner MHTN, MEP engineering firm Stanford White, structural engineering firm Stewart Inc., civil engineer Kimley-Horn & Associates, landscape architect ColeJenest & Stone, lighting designer Cline Bettridge Bernstein and construction manager Rodgers/Russell/Dayeco. The second and final phase of the project will be completed by early 2015.

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According to the university, the 15,000-square-foot Wine Spectator Learning Center will accommodate upwards of 300 students and feature three core classrooms, a commons area for supporting collaboration and student-driven business ventures, and an industry center for both professional and academic uses. It will also include seminar space, event space, an entrepreneurship laboratory, a wine business research library and an outdoor study terrace. More importantly, the center will provide the physical and technical infrastructure to support innovative and relevant curricula to develop wine industry leadership around the world.

"Sonoma State University has taken a leadership position in wine business education, a specialized but important field that deserves support,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator, in a release. "The potential benefits to the wine industry are enormous. We are pleased to be able to help the University and their students achieve their goals."

Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute is located in the heart of the state’s wine country, and was created through a public-private partnership between the university and the wine industry. It was founded in 1996 and was the first wine program in the nation to offer wine industry-specific degrees and certificates. In 2013 alone more than 600 students graduated from the institute and its online program.

Over the last 30 years the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation has raised more than $20 million to support such wine and food education and scholarship programs. Previous beneficiaries have included students at the University of California, Davis, Department of Viticulture & Ecology; the Culinary Institute of America; Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration; and Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.

"Wine Spectator is the premier media brand in education for the wine industry and Sonoma State University is a global leader in wine business education and research. This is a great pairing of two world class education partners," said Sonoma State President Ruben Armiñana, in a statement.
Though no specific construction schedule has been announced, work on the new facility is expected to begin in late 2015, ending in mid 2016.

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