GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees approved the construction of the Grand Rapids Research Center, a biomedical research facility, on Feb. 6. The board also approved a project budget of $85 million, even though the Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has estimated that the building will cost $88.1 million, reported MLive.
Robin L. Kanipe, P.E., Asheville, N.C. branch manager of SKA Consulting Engineers Inc., recently announced his April 2015 retirement from the firm. Kanipe, a 37-year veteran of the company, first joined SKA in March 1978 as an engineer in its Greensboro, N.C. headquarters. He later relocated to Asheville to expand SKA’s presence and reach into western North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
The award-winning Helen Lamp by Lunera delivers 900 lumens of usable light in four different color temperatures to fit a variety of learning needs and educational spaces. Designed for long lighting run times, the instant-on Helen Lamps improve the interior lighting environment, reduced energy usage and support school sustainability efforts. Available in a choice of three configurations — horizontal, vertical or vertical long — the Helen Lamp lasts at least five times longer than the CFLs they render obsolete.
EVANSTON, Ill. — Construction on Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management building is well underway after breaking ground in November 2013. The five-story, 415,000-square-foot building will serve as a global hub for the school, and is slated for completion in late 2016.
LAUREL, Md. — Monarch Global Academy Contract School opened in October 2014, bringing the globally minded International Baccalaureate curriculum to nearly 500 students.
WESTPORT, Wash. — Ocosta Elementary School in Westport, Wash. recently announced plans to construct a building capable of withstanding a potential tsunami. The school, located in Grays Harbor County and situated less than a mile from the Pacific coast, broke ground in January on a new gymnasium with a durable, reinforced roof that will allow the structure to serve as a tsunami refuge. The building is the first of its kind in both the United States and in North America.
BALTIMORE — Ever since the passage of the $1 billion Baltimore City School Construction and Revitalization Act of 2013 (HB 860) in April 2013, plans for new school construction and renovation projects in Baltimore have been well underway. As of September 2014, 11 school buildings were identified as moving toward the design phase, promising new or renovated facilities for almost 8,000 students.
Evelyn Chiang was recently named the new integrated general manager at Haws Corporation, a drinking fountain design and manufacturing firm with numerous school and university clients. With a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chiang brings more than 25 years of experience to Haws in global operations, program management, supply chain operations, information systems, and team leadership and development.
National Office Furniture, a unit of Kimball International Inc., has introduced the Essay line of student-inspired seating. Essay is the product of a partnership between National Office Furniture and Purdue University Industrial Design student Sasha Mahan-Rudolph, winner of a design competition hosted annually for Purdue students by the company. Essay’s unique design details and functional elements make it simple yet highly functional.
