APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz.—Officials from Central Arizona College recently gathered with personnel from McCarthy Building Companies and Architekton for a groundbreaking ceremony commemorating the start of work on the Superstition Mountain Campus expansion project. In addition to renovating the existing C building, the scope of work entails construction of new buildings for the school’s Allied Health and Skilled Trades programs. When completed, the $40 million expansion will total 51,620 square feet of new educational space.

“Central Arizona College is pleased to be working with McCarthy and Architekton to create a world-class learning experience for the residents of Apache Junction and Pinal County,” Dr. Jackie Elliott, president of CAC, said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “These new facilities will allow the college to prepare students for the workforce and assist in providing economic growth for the region.”

The Allied Health building will contain classrooms and laboratories specifically devoted to such medical specialties as pharmaceuticals, phlebotomy, massage therapy, sonography, radiology and nursing. Medical students will be able to train in simulation centers that mimic field-level experience in operating rooms and other healthcare settings. The classrooms will be outfitted with the most up-to-date technology, including patient simulators as well as the classic mannequin dolls.

The Skilled Trades building will entail areas for students to learn about such fields as plumbing, electrical, ceramics and the arts. In addition to learning from industry experts, students will have the opportunity to try out their new knowledge in practical workshops.

Meanwhile, renovations at C building include installing a new computer lab, virtual reality facility, faculty and public safety offices, as well as expansions to the existing E-Sports Lab. McCarthy will also be building an exterior canopy that will increase the outdoor seating and dining area; students will be able to have lunch while enjoying views of the nearby Superstition Mountains.

Renovations at C building will be complete this spring, with the Skilled Trades and Allied Health buildings due to open later in 2024. At that point, several existing buildings will also be torn down and replaced with natural landscaping.

“McCarthy and Central Arizona College share a priority for advancing career and technical education that promotes and cultivates local talent in skilled trades,” Andrea Ramos, project director for McCarthy, said of the firm’s work at the school. “We are committed to working with the CAC team and Architekton to build an exceptional campus expansion that will play a pivotal role in educating our future workforce in fields that are currently experiencing labor shortages, including healthcare and construction.”

“These facilities will be designed with a strong emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency—incorporating efficient HVAC systems, natural lighting, rainwater collection and water conservation measures,” added Daniel Childers, senior associate at Architekton. “These sustainable design elements will help in the education and integration of sustainability into CAC’s curriculum to promote environmentally responsible practices.

“By providing cutting-edge education and training opportunities, these facilities will contribute to the growth of the region’s emerging technology and healthcare sectors while fostering innovation, collaboration and sustainability in healthcare practices.”

Subcontractors working with McCarthy and Architekton include Stone Cold Masonry, RN Electric, Pete King and S&H Steel.

Central Arizona College has five campuses throughout Pinal County.

The post Arizona JC Breaks Ground on Substantial Expansion Project appeared first on School Construction News.

TEMPE, Ariz.—A major construction milestone was achieved recently with the topping out on the new $192 million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 7 (ISTB7) project at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe.

The new five-story, high-performance research facility spans approximately 280,000 square feet and will foster an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge generation and leading-edge research, including innovative endeavors focusing on the sustainability of food, water, and energy. In expanding the research district at ASU’s Tempe campus, the building will give researchers a means to collaborate on pressing environmental and food challenges.

Slated for completion in December 2021, McCarthy Building Companies is the general contractor on this impressive project. Grimshaw Architects and Tempe-based Architekton are the architects.

The ISTB7 building is the latest among dozens of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects on campus and is by far the most ambitious, pursuing LEED Platinum status. The flagship building for ASU’s School of Sustainability is using a range of innovative approaches, including concrete admixtures and the void form structural deck system known as BubbleDeck, that foster sustainability as well as evapotranspiration, photovoltaics, and ASU’s own carbon-capture technology.

“The ISTB7 construction project is proof positive that regardless of the challenges or difficulties, strong teamwork and commitment to success can overcome any obstacle,” said Bruce Nevel, vice president for Facilities Development and Management at ASU, in a statement.

“The ISTB7 project team has overcome unforeseen site conditions, unprecedented industry conditions all during a pandemic and yet has persevered to become a role model project—on schedule, on budget and outstanding quality—on our way to providing the most advanced and state-of-the-art research facility at ASU.”

Added Bryan Kuster, senior vice president of McCarthy Building Companies’ Southwest Region Education Building Group, in a statement.

“As a gateway to the Tempe campus, this represents a legacy project for our team and we are proud to continue our involvement with ASU on a complex that will connect the science and innovation districts on campus. Our laboratory construction team is working with the university and project partners to attain the highest sustainability goals utilizing innovative materials, processes and technology.”

Materials on the building incorporate ASU’s own cutting-edge scientific research on integrated carbon-capture technology. Methods to save and produce energy that will be utilized include air currents, evapotranspiration, and photovoltaics. The complex will also treat and recycle sewage for use as greywater using low-energy, bio-based systems.

“This was an incredible opportunity to celebrate the historic nature of the site while creating a project that leverages both the interior and exterior spaces to support and promote ASU’s innovative research,” said Rachel Green Rasmussen, AIA, with Architekton, in a statement.

“The team’s goal was to design a project that roots itself in our evolutionary past while creating a living lab for our sustainable future.”

ISTB7 will also be home to the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service, the School of Sustainability, the Institute of Human Origins, and a five-story atrium biome of flora and fauna.

The facility will contain wet and dry lab space, a conference and education center with a 389-seat presentation hall, university classrooms, and faculty and staff offices. Dry lab space may include computing, cyber-security, engineering design and fabrication, and robotics. ISTB7 will also have research labs for biological sciences, engineering, life sciences and sustainability.

The post New ASU Science Building Designed for LEED Platinum appeared first on School Construction News.