Perkins&Will

Virginia Tech is planning to break ground in spring of 2024 on a $292 million engineering building located in the North Academic District in Blacksburg. Replacing an existing structure, Mitchell Hall will act as a centralized hub for several departments including mechanical, chemical, aerospace, and ocean engineering. The five-story, 285,500-gsf development was designed by Perkins&Will to foster experiential learning with student collaboration spaces on every level.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began construction in September of 2023 on the $240 million Energy and Minerals Research Facility in Golden, Colo. Sited on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines, the 190,000-sf building will enable 250 USGS researchers to work side-by-side with 68 of the university's investigators and 150 students. This collaborative nexus for applied geosciences will include state-of-the-art laboratories, faculty offices, graduate student workstations, a classroom, and a café.

The Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID) is planning to construct a state-of-the-art translational research facility in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct. The Doherty Institute, the Burnet Institute, and the University of Melbourne are the founding partners for the AUD$650 million project, which will accommodate over 1,000 scientists, academics, professionals, and public health experts engaged in collaborative discovery.

The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) opened in May of 2023 in Manhattan, Kan. Enabling the rapid detection and mitigation of animal and human pathogens, the $1.25 billion complex provides state-of-the-art biocontainment labs supported by robust ventilation and decontamination systems. Sited on 48 acres adjacent to Kansas State University, the 708,000-sf development provides enhanced diagnostic and research capabilities to protect the country from emerging, zoonotic, and foreign animal diseases.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory opened the $86 million Integrated Engineering Research Center in April of 2023 in Batavia, Ill. Designed by Perkins+Will with Arup as as structural & MEP engineer, the 80,000-sf facility collocates engineers, technicians, and scientists at the heart of Fermi's campus. Providing next-generation infrastructure for advanced particle physics, the flexible and modular building features reconfigurable labs, design studios, and testing suites.