The University of Miami Frost Institute of Chemistry and Molecular Science has reported that construction is moving faster than expected and they are 1 month ahead of the schedule. The institute is expected to be completed by July of 2022 and it is the first of multiple planned interdisciplinary research centers under the Frost Institutes for Science and Engineering. The development of a multidisciplinary research hub on campus became possible following a US$100 million gift from longtime donors Phillip and Patricia Frost who are generous supporters of education and the arts and are renowned collectors.
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Once completed, FICMS will create a space for students studying engineering and science to coexist and interact. Professor and director of undergraduate studies in the chemistry department Marc Knecht were involved in the project as a member of the building’s design committee. He said the building’s open design was created with a focus on promoting collaboration. The building was designed by Harvard Jolly Architecture, a Florida-based architecture firm, and is being constructed by Skanska, one of the largest U.S.-based construction and development companies, according to Global Construction Review. The 90,000-square-foot structure marks Skanska’s second project for UM, after building the LEED Platinum-certified Patricia Louise Frost Music Studios.
“The design committee wanted to focus on bringing the different groups and ideas together,” Marc Knecht said. “These collaborations will advance science in new and unpredictable manners opening new avenues to connect chemistry with all different types of sciences, whether it be engineering disciplines all the way to the medical school and environmental disciplines.”
“It was important to preserve the green spaces, which are so characteristic of our campus,” Dean Bachas said. “The building was designed to minimize the impact on the environment while keeping the Miami experience intact.”
