Manchester, NH Skanska has been awarded a $44 million contract to construct Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) new, three-story, 66,904 s/f, College of Engineering, Technology and Aeronautics (CETA) building. When completed in fall 2019, the new building will provide an ideal environment for the school to advance its STEM research capabilities as well as expand its mechanical, electrical, computer and aeronautical engineering programs. The facility will be built to LEED Silver certification standards and be located on the west side of SNHU’s North River Rd. campus, adjacent to the classroom building that houses SNHU’s hospitality programs.
Designed by Wilson Architects, the new facility will be constructed with glass and stone to complement the school’s existing architecture, which is inspired by vernacular building types such as covered bridges, barns and the turn-of-the-century mill buildings of the area. It will feature: creative work spaces known as conceive, design, implement and operate (CDIO) hubs, where students can work on projects from conception through operation, turning them into real-world solutions and products; flexible classrooms; laboratory space; a cafe; a computer lab; multiple collaboration spaces, and space to house and operate 2D/3D printing equipment, materials science and robotics machinery. The building will also bring additional centralized green space to SNHU’s campus.
“STEM-based education provides a solid foundation for some of the most in-demand jobs, especially in construction, and we are thrilled to partner with Southern New Hampshire University to provide a facility where students will learn vital skills that will prepare them to pursue successful careers,” said Kerim Evin, leader of Skanska’s building operations throughout New England. “Skanska employs many graduates and interns with STEM backgrounds, and our team looks forward to completing a facility that will enable students to gain valuable, real-life working experience that will help them excel in those fields.”
“We are thrilled to break ground on our new, state-of-the-art engineering facility this spring, which will help to expand opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as well as provide our students with the education and skills they need to be successful in today’s workforce,” said Jim Smith, executive vice president, CETA, SNHU. “This facility is more than just a building; it represents SNHU’s commitment to helping prepare leaders in the engineering field for decades to come.”
Skanska and Wilson Architects worked together to help SNHU determine how the new engineering programs will be taught in the building, using strategic design to encourage collaboration and departmental unity throughout the space. To accommodate the new building, Skanska will demolish two outdated, wood-framed dormitories which will soon be replaced. Construction is now underway, and scheduled for completion in 2019.
From new construction to major building renovations, Skanska has been involved in more than $1.5 billion worth of work on academic campuses in New England over the past 10 years. Most recently, Skanska was awarded a $113 million contract to construct Boston College’s new four-story, 244,000-square-foot Recreation Center, and a $52 million contract to provide preconstruction and construction services to create Deerfield Academy’s new 136,000 square foot Athletic Complex. The company’s Boston office has received a total of 11 prestigious Build America Awards from the Association of General Contractors for their work in Massachusetts, including awards for the Novartis campus expansion in Cambridge, and Boston University’s Law School Addition and Renovation.
Skanska has been building or restoring New England’s landmarks for more than 70 years—from Gillette Stadium and the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, to the Longfellow Bridge. Skanska self-finances the majority of its development projects and serves as the construction manager. The firm is responsible for developing and building “Boston’s most sustainable block” in the Seaport District, including 121 Seaport, the neighborhood’s first and only elliptical tower with 400,000 square feet of Class-A, flexible office space targeting LEED Platinum certification; 101 Seaport, the North American headquarters for PwC; and Watermark Seaport, a 300,000-square-foot, LEED Gold residential building with ground-floor retail, which is more than 95 percent leased.