Industry News

Synopsys Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., opened a "plug-in" facility in Pleasanton in November 1999. Employees minimize time spent commuting in the East Bay by bringing their laptop computers to the 11,000-sf telecommuting office, which is equipped with desks, phones, fax and copy machines, a break room and vending machines.

Both Cisco Systems Inc. and Cadence Design Systems Inc. have also opened telecommute offices in the area.

Paradigm Genetics has broken ground on a $12.5 million, 54,000-sf lab and office campus on six acres in RTP. Eventually, the agricultural biotechnology company plans to develop a total of 284,000 sf on 22 acres at the site.

The University of Maryland at College Park, in conjunction with Lucent Technologies of Murray Hill, NJ, has plans for a "digital residence hall" for students in the Hinman Campus Entrepreneurship Opportunities Program. Lucent will design and equip the facility with multimedia messaging, videoconferenceing, and high-speed wireless and data networking.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities has awarded a contract to Facilities Plus in Gaithersburg to coordinate internal moves for the organization.

The General Services Administration (GSA) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) have plans for two new facilities. A new 350,000-sf ATF Headquarters Building will accommodate more than 1,100 ATF employees in Northeast Washington.

Construction began in January on the new 176,000-sf National Laboratory Center at a 35-acre site in Beltsville which will house support staff and 3 ATF labs: the Alcohol & Tobacco Laboratory, the Forensic Laboratory, and the Fire Research Laboratory.