Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

UArizona Constructing Flexible Research Spaces for Interdisciplinary Projects

University of Arizona broke ground this week on its new Grand Challenges Research Building, a 115,000-square-foot facility that will house a variety of labs, offices and flexible research spaces.

"Grand Challenges" refers to the second pillar of UArizona's five-pillared "living" strategic plan. The Grand Challenges pillar involves "tackling society’s biggest challenges by enabling discoveries that will fundamentally shape the future."

To that end, the new seven-story building will will serve a wide range of functions. According to UArizona, the ground floor will include "public spaces, study spaces and meeting rooms to support student engagement and instruction."

The three floors above that will include "laboratories and offices dedicated to faculty growth in the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences."

The remaining three floors will be "dedicated to research laboratories and offices for centers and cross-campus interdisciplinary programs, including the new Center for Quantum Networks, led by the College of Optical Sciences."

UArizona Constructing Flexible Research Spaces for Interdisciplinary Projects
Source: University of Arizona/ZGF Architects and BWS Architects.

The cost of the building was reported at $99 million. It will be connected to the Meinel Optical Sciences Building. Construction is expected to be completed by February 2024. Design is being handled by ZGF Architects and BWS Architects. Construction for the project is being handled by Kitchell Contractors, which was also "the contractor for the university's Health Science Innovation Building, a 220,000-square-foot building that opened in 2019," according to UArizona.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.