Framingham State celebrates new labs

Courtesy Framingham State University today will celebrate the opening of Hemenway Laboratories, an addition to Hemenway Hall, shown here.

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By Emily Micucci

Framingham State University will celebrate the opening of the university’s new state-of-the-art science facility at a ceremony this afternoon.

Hemenway Laboratories opened in September and features 16 biology, chemistry and food science laboratories, an atrium and several lounge and study areas, according to FSU.

The university anticipates the 58,000-square-foot facility will receive Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

An addition to Hemenway Hall, the project was funded through the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) and was part of a larger, $84-million project that included major renovations to Hemenway Hall. A grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center also helped fund a portion of the project.

Barr & Barr, a Framingham company, was the construction manager, and Cambridge-based Ellenzweig was the project architect.

The facility will accommodate ongoing growth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects; enrollment in those programs grew 58 percent from 2010 to 2014, according to FSU.