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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.

This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.

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Division of Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-7796

nova.edu/prmc

SharkBytes Archives

Contact

Division of Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-7796

communications@nova.edu

Coral Reef Center Wins Top Florida Design Award



First row left-to-right: Picton Warlow, Moss & Associates; Lazaro Alfonso, Bliss & Nytray, Inc; Jessica Brumley, Nova Southeastern University; Travis Serpas, Moss/Miller LLC; Jesse Miller, Moss/Miller LLC; Brett Atkinson, Russell Anderson, and David Ciampini, Moss & Associates accept the award. Second row left-to-right: Justin Sligh and Sohail Rana, Moss & Associates; and Roland Lemke, Cannon Design.



Nova Southeastern University’s Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research recently won the Best Overall Project Award given by the Design-Build Institute of America’s (DBIA) Florida region.

The 87,000-square foot, $50 million Center was chosen among other elite competitors such as LEGOLAND Florida.

The award was presented to NSU and its design/builder (Moss and Miller, LLC), and their design/build team which included (Cannon Design, Acai Associates and Bliss & Nyitray, Inc.) during the 7th Annual Conference of the DBIA’s Florida Region on Sept. 13 and 14 in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla.

“This prestigious award from DBIA validates our commitment to building facilities at the university that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also environmentally friendly,” said NSU President George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D. “Because of its energy efficient design, Florida Power & Light has given NSU a discount on the building’s electric bill. We are proud of the research Center’s magnificent design features as well as the scientists and students who are making new discoveries to ensure our environmental sustainability of coral reefs.”

Winning this prestigious award automatically qualifies the Center of Excellence to compete for the national Best Overall Award at the 2013 national DBIA conference. In addition to winning the Best Overall Project Award in the Florida region, the Center also won the Best Overall Project Award in the region’s education category.

“To be recognized as the best of the best by the DBIA only reinforces how well this design build team worked together to produce the finest research facility of its kind for NSU,” said Brett Atkinson, senior vice president of Moss & Associates. “We are very proud of our accomplishments, but more importantly we look forward to the significant research that will be conducted by NSU scientists in this facility.”

The Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research is located at NSU’s Oceanographic Center at John U. Lloyd Beach State Park. A grand opening will be held on Sept. 27.

Rising above the park, the 5-story concrete structure with sleek curtain wall glass sits near the entrance to Port Everglades and takes its design inspiration from the ocean. It offers commanding views of the port, downtown Ft. Lauderdale and the Atlantic Ocean, and its coral reefs.

Incorporating many energy efficient and sustainable features, the Center is anticipated to be awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Center has created 22 new academic jobs and 300 construction jobs; and it will employ 50 graduate students as well as preserving 22 existing academic jobs. NSU received a $15 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce (using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) to build the center, while the university funded the rest of the project.

In addition to having laboratories and sophisticated scientific equipment, the Center has space for research collaboration, training, scuba areas, and fieldwork staging, a marine science library and an 85-seat auditorium. The building’s design promotes research by current and new faculty, researchers, visiting scientists, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate and undergraduate students.