Payette has completed design of a new 148,000 s/f building for the College of Pharmacy at the Kingston campus at the University of Rhode Island (URI). The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the building on October 5, and attended by URI president David Dooley and dean of the College of Pharmacy Ronald Jordan. The certified LEED Silver building is the second major component of the URI Health Life Sciences District on the North Kingston campus. Payette also designed the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences (CBLS), which opened in January of this year. Both projects include state-of-the-art teaching and research labs and business incubator space, reflecting the strong public-private partnership character of the school's mission. The buildings are part of the University's larger plan to create a science and technology hub that prepares students for careers in the life sciences industry and fosters biotechnology development in the Rhode Island economy. "This new building continues the University of Rhode Island's commitment to student centered, research-based and rich experiential learning in health and life science higher education," said Ronald Jordan, dean of the College of Pharmacy at URI. Designed to include three distinct and connected neighborhoods or social centers, the south-facing building faces a relocated Medicinal Garden. Each of these neighborhoods is a two-story space that interconnects the building's four above ground floors. The garden features an educational display of medicinal plants, herbs and spices and also functions as a conservatory source of standard specimens. "URI's Pharmacy program is one of the top programs in the country," said Todd Sloane, AIA, associate principal at Payette. "The new building showcases student-centered learning, and combined with the recently opened Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences, creates a magnet for biotechnology research and development in Rhode Island." Core labs support programs for pharmaceutics manufacturing, pharmacognosy, 3D visualization and histology. The visualization auditorium provides 3D tools to facilitiate complex subject matter. A working patient clinic also gives students hands-on clinical experience. The project team includes R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, MEP and fire protection engineering; Odeh Engineers, structural engineering; Pare Corp., civil and geotechnical engineering; Carol R. Johnson Associates, landscape architecture; and CCR Pyramid, tel/com and security; Suffolk Construction Co. Inc., contractor.