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University of Delaware Tops Off Newest Academic Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/24/23

The University of Delaware in Newark, Del., recently celebrated a “topping off” ceremony for its latest academic building—a 131,000-square-foot facility for the College of Arts and Sciences, currently known as “Building X,” according to local news. The Newark Post reports that the state governor, city mayor, and university officials gathered last Thursday to sign the final, ceremonial beam before it was placed in the roof of the four-story structure. The project broke ground in 2022 and is scheduled to open in 2024.

The project comes with an estimated cost of $165 million and will play home to classrooms and research spaces for the biology, psychology, brain sciences, and physics and astronomy departments, local news reports. A university news release from November 2022 called the new facility a “science collider,” intended to serve as an interdisciplinary space and to encourage collaboration between various disciplines.

The building will also feature an outdoor quad featuring gathering spaces, grassy areas, and rain gardens, according to the Newark Post.

“This interdisciplinary science building at the heart of the UD campus will catalyze cutting-edge research in the fields of human disease, developmental disorders, neuroscience and human behavior, and educate more than 1,000 students a year in those critical areas of healthcare need,” said University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis. “In addition, by enhancing collaborative partnerships with the state and beyond, this new facility will be an invaluable asset for our entire community for generations to come.”

The university partnered with HGA Architects for the building’s design and Whiting-Turner Contracting Company for its construction. It received $41 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, and the remainder came from university funds and philanthropic donations.

The university news release also reports that sustainability initiatives will include solar panels, as well as aiming for the City of Newark’s construction standard for sustainability, similar to a LEED Silver certification.

The new facility will replace McKinly Lab, which was damaged by fire in August 2017 and recently demolished to make room for construction.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

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