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

  • restroom sinks

    CSU Dominguez Hills Standardizes Plumbing to Improve Restroom Maintenance and Efficiency

    At California State University, Dominguez Hills, facilities leaders have taken steps to standardize restroom fixtures as part of a broader effort to improve maintenance efficiency and control long-term costs.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • Texas State University Completes Stadium Renovations

    Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, recently announced that it has completed a series of additions and renovations to its football stadium, according to a news release. Formerly known as the Bobcat Stadium End Zone Complex, the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center is an 85,000-square-foot expansion featuring hospitality spaces, banquet spaces, exterior concourses, and upgrades to the field house.

  • North Carolina District Completes New Elementary School

    The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Holly Springs, N.C., recently announced that construction on a new elementary school has finished, according to a news release. Rex Road Elementary School measures in at 133,000 square feet and is the fifteenth school that general contractor Balfour Beatty has completed for the district.

Digital Edition