Construction Cost

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the third quarter of 2020. Key points include:

Facility Logix, EwingCole, and Biggins Lacy Shapiro have launched Rapid Reshore & Development (RR&D) to provide turnkey professional services to the life sciences and biopharmaceutical industries. Addressing many of the logistical challenges faced by companies developing drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, the alliance represents an evolution from transaction-driven service models to a holistic focus on client needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for the research community to respond quickly to changing markets and to understand the value of laboratory spaces that are flexible, adaptable, and scalable. We’ve seen stadiums converted to makeshift hospitals, “drive-through” testing sites pop up in vacant parking lots, and testing laboratories continually ramp up production to expedite results. This quick-thinking behavior has been inspiring to witness but daunting to execute. Laboratories, by nature, are among the most complex building typologies, where the utmost importance is protecting both the health and safety of their occupants and the integrity of the research. The complexities of the resulting design can be challenging to undertake, but when faced with the extreme circumstances of a pandemic, it is possible to expedite the process with a combination of strategies.

The University of Colorado opened the $61.4 million William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in August of 2020 in Colorado Springs. Designed by HOK and RTA Architects, the 104,600-sf facility integrates undergraduate and graduate education with clinical practice and research in a sports medicine and performance environment.

Codiak BioSciences is constructing a 12,000-sf clinical manufacturing center in Lexington, Mass. The project includes the build-out of a leased lab and office building to create a GMP facility for the production of exosome therapeutics. Codiak is incorporating G-CON Manufacturing's PODs into the center to provide flexible cleanroom capacity. The prefabricated units offer exceptional scalability and mobility, and can be easily repurposed to meet future needs.

Drexel University is partnering with Wexford Science+Technology to create the Drexel Academic Tower in Philadelphia. Construction began in July of 2020 on the structure, which will provide Drexel with 450,000 sf of rented space in the University City district. The College of Nursing and Health Professions will be located in the building, with classes beginning in fall of 2022.

Access to quick, reliable, and repeated testing has been one of the greatest challenges for businesses, institutions, and individuals during the SARS-CoV-2 crisis. HOK has partnered with Germfree Laboratories to design a mobile testing lab that will help large organizations to meet this urgent need. These self-contained biocontainment facilities can provide advanced, onsite capabilities for any setting.

Exyte is partnering with Univercells Technologies to create modular biomanufacturing facilities to meet the increased global demand for vaccines during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Exyte’s prefabricated construction system, ExyCell, is paired with Univercells’ NevoLine biomanufacturing platform which features the scale-X™ fixed-bed bioreactor at its core.

An untold number of construction projects have put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean all work has to stop. In fact, owners should focus on preparing those projects to resume the moment it is safe to return to the job site. “The best thing for an owner to do is get these projects shovel-ready so they will be in the driver’s seat,” says James Vermeulen, managing principal of Vermeulens. “Whether the project can start construction or is delayed, it is important to be in the driver’s seat. If there’s a schedule slip, you can have an even better set of 100 percent construction-ready documents.”

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution began construction in March of 2020 on a 50,000-sf innovation hub in Falmouth, Mass. Designed by DSK, the three-story building will provide offices, labs, and meeting spaces for new research programs on above-water and underwater autonomous vehicle and sensor technologies (AVAST). Supporting WHOI's Strategic Facility Assessment, the project will enable staff to be relocated from existing waterfront facilities in order to collocate investigators and enhance research synergies.

To keep apprised of the dynamics in the current construction environment, Vermeulens, a professional services firm focused on construction cost estimation and pre-construction cost control, has scheduled twice-weekly virtual roundtable discussions with industry leaders in Central and East Coast regions to identify ongoing trends, influencing factors, construction administration issues, and the market outlook in the construction industry. Economic indicators are in flux, and while employment in construction seemed to have avoided the drop seen in other sectors through mid-March, a survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) shows that conditions are worsening, with 55 percent of the 1,600 repondents nationwide reporting they had been directed to hault work on at least one project, and 27 percent have furloughed or terminated construction workers. The next federal jobs report, which will be issued at the end of April, will provide a truer picture, says James Vermeulen, managing principal of Vermeulens.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the fourth quarter of 2019. Key points include:

Foghorn Therapeutics broke ground in January of 2020 on its 60,000-sf headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. Located in Kendall Square, the facility will provide chemistry and biology labs, open offices, conference rooms, huddle rooms, and an employee café. Foghorn will occupy over three floors in the building, which is owned by Alexandria Real Estate Equities and managed by CBRE.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the third quarter of 2019. Key points include:

Michigan State University broke ground on the $85 million Doug Meijer Innovation Building in Grand Rapids in November of 2019. Designed by SmithGroup, the 205,000-sf facility will house multiple tenants including Spectrum Health, BAMF Health, and MSU's College of Human Medicine. The collaborative six-story building will enable the discovery and commercialization of new medical devices, artificial intelligence technologies, and treatments for cancer and dementia.