Collaboration

The University of Colorado is planning to construct a $45 million Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub in Boulder. Built as an addition that will physically connect the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the College of Business, the 75,000-sf project will include 45,000 gsf of new construction and 30,000 gsf of renovated space. The collaborative facility will provide technology-enhanced classrooms for active learning, an auditorium, a library, faculty offices, team rooms, a multipurpose event space, and an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship center.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston opened a $15 million facility for the School of Biomedical Informatics in December of 2018. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the two-story, 44,709-sf project is the first freestanding school of biomedical informatics in the United States and was constructed on top of an existing parking garage.

Nebraska Wesleyan University opened the $29 million Duane W. Acklie Hall of Science in December of 2018 in Lincoln. Designed by The Clark Enersen Partners to put science on display, the three-story, 80,000-sf facility provides six classrooms, 15 laboratories, faculty offices, study areas, and collaboration spaces for the departments of chemistry, biology, and psychology. Sampson Construction broke ground on the project in April of 2017.

Heriot Watt University is planning to construct the National Robotarium in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. Created in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the £100 million innovation hub will support research and development on robotics and autonomous systems as well as providing instruction and training facilities for computational science programs. The project is an integral part of the region’s Data Driven Innovation (DDI) initiative that aims to establish the area as the data capital of Europe. Occupancy is expected in 2021. 

Sanofi announced the lease of 900,000 sf in two buildings in the Cambridge Crossing development in December of 2018. The French pharmaceutical manufacturer will occupy approximately a fifth of the 45-acre campus spanning Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. The project will provide collaborative laboratory and office space for 2,700 Sanofi employees.

The University of Manchester opened the £60 million Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre in December of 2018 in the United Kingdom. Located in the new 91,000-sf Masdar Building on the North campus, the facility will accommodate collaborative materials science research and development with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

16 Tech Community Corporation broke ground in December of 2018 on the $30 million Advanced Research and Innovation Facility in Indianapolis. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute will lease over 67,000 sf on the first three floors of the building to accommodate researchers engaged in the study of diabetes, nutrition, and metabolics. Indiana University School of Medicine will locate the Center for Regenerative Medicine's molecular therapeutics program in 12,000 sf of the facility, which will also house the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.

The Pirbright Institute will begin construction in early 2019 on the £50 million Brooksby Building in the United Kingdom. Designed to promote interaction and collaboration between investigators, the 51,000-sf facility will feature sophisticated biocontainment laboratories for the detection, diagnosis, and study of zoonotic diseases and livestock pathogens, as well as providing small animal vivarium space for in vivo research programs. The general contractor for the project is Kier and occupancy is expected by 2021.

The University of Hawaii - West Oahu opened the $32 million Administration and Allied Health Facility in December of 2018 in Kapolei. Designed by Perkins+Will and KYA Design Group to accommodate interdisciplinary health sciences education, the collaborative 44,000-sf facility provides nine classrooms, a computer lab, two support labs, faculty and administrative offices, and teaching labs for anatomy, cellular biology, microbiology, and organic chemistry.

Georgia Southern University broke ground in December of 2018 on the $50 million Center for Engineering and Research in Statesboro. Designed by SmithGroup and Stevens & Wilkinson to promote interaction and collaboration, the three-story, 135,000-sf facility will provide a centralized home for the departments and disciplines of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing.

National Research Council Canada opened the Manufacturing and Automotive Innovation Hub in December of 2018 in London, Ontario. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects to promote collaboration and interaction, the flexible facility provides four laboratories, a high crane bay, and two vehicle bays to support the optimization of manufacturing supply chain operations and the development of innovative products and technologies. A 9,200-sf open office environment with abundant natural light is located on the second floor of the 16,740-sf facility.

The University of New Haven is building the Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation in West Haven, Conn. Designed by Svigals+Partners, the three-story, 44,000-sf facility will provide sophisticated science and engineering labs, collaborative classrooms, a maker space, an atrium, and video production studios. The interdisciplinary building will also include a co-working space for faculty and administrative staff instead of individual offices. Ground was broken on the project in October of 2018 and completion is expected in early 2020.

Cargill opened its $70 million protein headquarters in Wichita in December of 2018. Supporting product research, development, and testing, the four-story, 188,000-sf facility can accommodate up to 950 employees in open office environments designed to promote interaction and innovation. Offering collaboration spaces throughout the building, the technology-rich structure includes a café, a conference center, a state-of-the-art sensory center, and a customer presentation kitchen.

The University of Georgia broke ground in November of 2018 on the $65 million Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (I-STEM) Research Building in Athens. Located on the South Campus, the four-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide collaborative laboratories and support spaces for research programs at the intersection of chemistry, engineering, and materials sciences. The I-STEM building will accommodate more than 30 faculty and 100 graduate students and is slated for completion in summer of 2021.

The University of Miami dedicated the Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building in November of 2018 in Coral Gables, Fla. Designed by Arquitectonica, the 20,000-sf facility provides the School of Architecture with a unique collaborative learning space that can accommodate up to 130 students simultaneously. The only fixed walls within the structure delineate a technology-rich fabrication lab with polymer and powder 3D printers.