Industry News

Kaiser Permanente has opted to relocate its Northern California optical lab from Berkeley to Richmond instead of consolidating with a Southern California Kaiser lab. The 39,000-sf Richmond facility will house administration and manufacturing operations and will employ 140.

New England Biolabs has selected Boston-based Jung/Brannen Associates as architect of record for the design of its new 150,000-sf Ipswich laboratory building. The firm will collaborate with Weston Williamson of London to create the three-story R&D facility.

Advancing California's Emerging Technologies (ACET) may team up with Catellus Development to create ACET's new home on 3.3 acres of the 213-acre former U.S. Naval Air Station Fleet Industrial Center. Originally a bioscience incubator, ACET has expanded its focus to include technology and energy applications. Currently operating from 8,800 sf of smaller Alameda Naval Air station labs, the ACET is seeking a $64-million grant to cover land, design and building costs for the new facility.

Texas Tech University System has selected Detroit-based SmithGroup to provide programming, design architecture, engineering, and master planning services for a new Health Sciences Center Research Facility in El Paso. The facility, scheduled for completion in December of 2005, is the first building of a planned four-year medical school and new regional Health Sciences Center Campus for the Texas Tech University System.

Baylor University broke ground on the new 500,000-sf Baylor Sciences Building on May 17, 2002. The $103-million facility will consolidate departments currently located within the University's science buildings. Comprised of three wings, the four-story structure will house life sciences, physical sciences, and five multidisciplinary research/education centers. It will feature 90 research labs, 80 teaching labs, 187 faculty offices, 48 shared suites, and 6 departmental suites.