Biola University Triples Health And Science Space On Campus With New Building

Biola University's new facility, which the university celebrated in a grand opening last month, triples the university’s amount of space devoted to science, technology and health to meet the demand for the growing fields, officials said.

C.W. Driver Cos. completed the $63M, 91,200 SF Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health last fall at Biola, a private Christian university in La Mirada in Los Angeles County.

“It was an honor to partner with the leadership team at Biola University and Gensler to construct an all-new, state-of-the-art educational facility that enhances teaching and research space for the next generation of science and healthcare professionals,” C.W. Driver Cos. Project Executive Tom Jones said in a news release.

As the population continues to age, demand for healthcare services is expected to rise. 

The healthcare industry is the fastest-growing occupation compared to other industries and expected to add 2.4 million workers by 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.  

C.W. Driver broke ground on the project in 2015 and completed the project in 2017, right in time for the 2018 spring semester. The facility was completely funded by donors, school officials said.

Biola’s new four-story facility features 27 laboratories, six classrooms, space for research, chemistry labs and a floor dedicated to the school’s nursing program and vibration-sensitive labs.

The university is developing a botany program, which will be housed on the rooftop with an observatory and an on-site greenhouse.