NJIT will be expanding its life science facilities with new extensions being made to the existing York Center, located near the parking lot adjacent to the Student Mall.
The goal of this extension is to expand NJIT’s life science facilities, with primary focus on biomedical engineering. Funded by New Jersey state bond programs, approximately 13.5 million dollars will go to the physical construction of the addition to the York Center, and 5.5 million dollars will go to the design fee and new scientific lab equipment, resulting in an estimated project value of 19 million dollars.
The space created by the expansion will accommodate fifty faculty and student researchers conducting “wet lab” research, or research involving toxic chemicals, drugs, and biological samples. The York Center Life Science Annexation will follow an open lab design similar to the renovations made in the Central King Building, in which the center will expanded into the parking lot. An open glass front will allow passerby to view the projects and activity occurring in the labs as they make their way towards the Campus Center.
With greater emphasis on the development of the exterior of the building, some space in the interior of the expansion will be left unfinished so that the allocated space can be specifically designed to cater newer research projects.
Selected in December 2014 from a total of 30 proposals, this design concept was proposed by NJIT alumnus Stephen Aluotto and a team of designers from NK Architects. Aluotto has been working with Dr. Atam Dhawan, the Executive Director of Undergraduate Research and Innovation to create the program of the new research labs. The most recent renderings of the York Center Life Science Annexation and its glass facade have been released on Friday, March 6.
“This design is great for displaying science to visitors coming from the parking lot,” says Andrew P. Christ, the Vice President for Real Estate Development and Capital Operations, “it also will help create a more vibrant pathway from the Parking Deck to the Campus Center.”
It is expected that the construction of the expansion and the renovations made to the York Center will begin this summer, and will be ready for use during the fall semester of 2016.
.
