Industry News

SANYO Commercial Solutions, a division of SANYO North America Corporation announces that due to new multi split and VRF testing, three additional models are now ENERGY STAR qualified. Equipment that meets these standards allows homeowners and building owners to take Federal Tax credit for having high efficiency equipment installed. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR rating use less energy and prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

Westminster College broke ground on the 60,000-sf Meldrum Science Center in Salt Lake City in late spring of 2008. Housing flexible laboratories, the four-story Meldrum Science Center will seek LEED certification for sustainable design. The project team includes architectural firm of VCBO with Big D Construction as general contractor. The $25 million building will support interdisciplinary science and undergraduate research with integrated lecture laboratories and research facilities. Occupancy is slated for spring of 2010.

Oklahoma State University opened the OSU Multispectral Laboratories in Ponca City in early June of 2008. The 70,000-sf lab is owned by the University and was created in partnership with ConocoPhillips and the city of Ponca City. The $14 million facility is operated by Triton Scientific and will support the development of sensors and security technologies. The project represents the completion of the first phase of renovations to Research East, a building donated to OSU by ConocoPhillips.

Google will develop a 1.2 million-sf administrative and R&D campus on 42 acres at the Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. Google has signed a 40-year lease with NASA for the site that can be extended up to 90 years at an initial rent of $3.66 million per year. The campus will include offices, research and development space, conference rooms, housing, dining, and other amenities. Construction will begin in 2013.

The University of Kentucky is constructing the 285,000-gsf Biological/Pharmaceutical Complex in Lexington. The building will house labs, lecture halls, classrooms, offices, and core labs for the College of Pharmacy. Featuring a five-story atrium, the facility is designed around laboratory neighborhoods to promote interaction and collaboration. The design team includes EOP Architects of Lexington as architect of record and Ellenzweig of Cambridge, Ma., as design architect and laboratory planner. Completion is expected by the end of 2009.