Washington State University Vancouver will break ground on its new Sciences Building on Nov. 18.
The building will include classrooms, offices and lab spaces for students studying biology, chemistry and other STEM-related degrees. The building’s total cost will be approximately $57.1 million and is expected to open in 2023.
Since WSU Vancouver expanded to serve freshmen and sophomores in 2006, the school says the demand for additional lab space in STEM fields has “exploded.” The university was awarded $52.6 million as part the state’s 2021-23 capital budget to help fund the construction. It will also begin a $10 million fundraising effort to add a greenhouse to the campus.
School officials said designers are working with the history department to incorporate elements of the local scenery into the building’s design — such as Mount St. Helens — as well as art that honors and recognizes the native people who shaped the land and history over time.
