CIEE’s Latin American Life Sciences Headquarters

We managed the design and construction of two new STEM facilities for Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) in Latin America. The project contributed to the study of life sciences at their 105 acre Costa Rican campus in the cloud forest of Monte Verde and their STEM facility in Merida the capital of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Partnering with a local architect and Gensler, we delivered a high-tech teaching laboratory facility for CIEE’s chemistry and biology students. Starting with a feasibility study for the acquisition of a 105-acre campus from the University of Georgia, we led the acquisition and transaction management for the property. We then worked with the client to develop and implement an extensive capital improvement plan across the campus which included the installation of new electrical power and fiber throughout the campus as well as a site safety plan with a state-of-the-art access control system, enhancing the overall security of the site. To accommodate CIEE’s schedule constraints, we creatively incorporated temporary solutions and phased work plans which allowed the campus to remain fully operational while we completed the work around the students’ schedules.

Again collaborating with Gensler and local teams, we transformed CIEE’s new educational facility in the Yucatan Peninsula. Within a tight 6-month schedule, encompassing both design and construction, we successfully executed the interior renovation of the entire facility and outfitted a fully-equipped laboratory for our client.

• Acquisition Transaction management in a cloud forest
• Monte Verde Campus focuses on sustainable agriculture and bio-regenerative processes
• DBI managed the project both directly on-site and from our NYC headquarters