Construction begins today for the Anderson Student Center at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“The student center will serve as a wonderful gathering place that will tie together our north and south campuses,” said Father Dennis Dease, president. Jane Canney, vice president for student affairs, called the center “our living room – the real heart of the campus.”

The 225,000 square foot student center will house meeting rooms, a 9,600-square foot multipurpose room, recreation space, campus dining facilities, an art gallery, a bowling center, dance area, student ...[more]

Shepley Bulfinch has begun schematic design for the new Health and Biomedical Science Center for the University of Houston’s College of Optometry.

The 167,600 s.f. state-of-the-art research and patient eye care center will include an ambulatory surgical center, laser center, specialized research labs, offices, seminar spaces, a new conference facility, and classrooms. It will be located adjacent to the J. Davis Armistead Building on the southern end of the University’s main campus. Housing an integrated clinical, teaching, and research program, the new building will dovetail into the existing facility in the Armistead ...[more]

Construction continues on the new public library in Show Low, Arizona, with an anticipated opening this summer.

Designed by Merzproject of Phoenix, now a studio of Shepley Bulfinch, the library uses masonry and laminated timber construction that reflects the wood barn tradition of the region’s White Mountains. The design reflects an environmentally conscious approach to the project. A 150-foot long clerestory window brings daylight deep into the main hall, while other sustainable features include the use low-VOC and recycled-content finishes, high-efficiency plumbing and mechanical equipment, and regional materials, such as Arizona stone.

The new ...[more]

The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, has given the green light for construction of the 210,000 s.f. Anderson Student Center, with plans to complete the project by the end of 2011.

The center will draw students crossing from the Quad into a lively three-story atrium filled with light and activity (image, right). Jane Canney, the University’s vice president of student affairs, said, “The student center will be our living room… the real heart of the campus.”�

A hub of campus activity, the center will feature a variety of dining facilities, including a ...[more]

CINCINNATI, OH – As an article in the current issue of the Business Courier of Cincinnati notes, the building now under construction for Williams College of Business at Xavier will transform the school’s learning environment, but it won’t stop there. As part of the new Hoff Academic Quad (with Conaton Learning Commons), the project will provide the public face of Xavier, its towers flanking the newly defined entrance.

The school itself will immerse students in a business-rich environment that brings together not only students and faculty, but also Cincinnati’s business community, called the school’s “third stakeholder,” ...[more]

SACRAMENTO, CA – Shepley Bulfinch’s team was awarded the Lakeport Courthouse project in Lake County, California. The Judicial Council of California made the announcement today as part of the selection of architects for 13 recently funded courthouse projects across the state. The $60 million, 50,000 s.f. courthouse is located north of Santa Rosa.

Shepley Bulfinch will complete the project in association with TLCD Architects. The two firms last partnered on the highly successful Doyle Library for Santa Rosa Community College, which was completed in 2006.

Courthouse announcement – Lake County News

CINCINNATI, OH –Two prominent academic buildings now under construction will create a dramatic new gateway for the Jesuit university campus, according to today’s Cincinnati Business Courier.

The Williams College of Business and a Learning Commons are part of the first phase of construction of the Hoff Academic Quad, a project that Bob Sheeran, the university’s vice president for facilities management, told the Business Courier is “really a transformational project for the campus.”

The two 85,000 s.f buildings are being designed to LEED Silver standards with sustainable features including materials sourcing and selection, thermal and lighting controls, and a high-performance building envelope.

The first phase of the 12-acre project, which broke ground last fall, ...[more]