University of Utah to Expand Applied Sciences Building

The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, is set to begin construction on renovations and additions to its applied sciences building. Work will start in early October and consist of renovating 40,000 square feet inside the William Stewart Building for Applied Sciences, as well as building a 100,000-square-foot addition on the building’s west side.

The building will play home to the Departments of Physics & Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences, according to a news release, uniting students and faculty of aerospace, biotechnology, semiconductor technology, data science, air quality, and hazardous weather forecasting under one roof.

A news release reports that the new facility will offer a 56-percent increase in space for experimental and computer labs. The project comes with a price tag of about $84.6 million; of that, $60 million has been requested from the state, and the remainder will come from private funding. The university has already received donor commitments totaling $11 million.

One major impetus of the historic building’s renovation is the rising cost of maintenance issues, according to the university website. “[Maintenance] costs will only escalate and still barely stay ahead of their failing systems. The current state of these aging facilities and failing infrastructure places them in immediate crisis,” according to a 2018 Feasibility Study.

The university is partnering with DFCM Construction on the building’s construction. The new facility is scheduled to open its doors to students in August 2024.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • New City School

    Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Transforming New City School

    When New City School in St. Louis suffered catastrophic flood damage in July 2022, the event could have marked a serious setback for the 100-year-old institution. Instead, it became a forward-looking opportunity.