Energy Use Reduction

San Diego State University began work in early 2025 on a new STEM facility to enhance student success and increase research access and productivity. SmithGroup designed this iconic campus destination to advance innovation and discovery while addressing growing industry demand for science graduates. Spanning 79,000 gsf, the five-story center will provide approximately 38,000 asf of space for instructional and research laboratories, including both wet and dry environments, as well as related support spaces and faculty offices.

Brandywine Realty Trust has completed construction on 3151 Market Street, a dynamic innovation facility in the heart of Philadelphia’s life sciences cluster. Designed by Gensler, the 472,000-sf tower offers purpose-built offices and customizable laboratories with options for chemical and biological use, GMP production, and vivarium operations. Collaboration and knowledge exchange are enhanced by an advanced conference center and a café, complemented by private terraces and green spaces to amplify employee productivity.

Cornell University is planning to expand Duffield Hall to create a vibrant home for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Ithaca, N.Y. Supported by a $100 million donation, the project will add 130,000 sf of new and renovated space. Upon completion, the 300,000-sf facility will feature an embedded, low-vibration research wing for quantum computing on a built-out basement level, complemented by three stories above grade.

Sciontec is planning to construct Hemisphere, a £156 million laboratory and office development in Liverpool, U.K. Strategically sited in the city’s Knowledge Quarter, the complex will include two eight-story structures offering a total of 216,861 nsf. Designed by AHR to foster workplace wellbeing and productivity, this nexus of discovery will also include a central biophilic plaza, interior greenhouses, showers, and a cycle hub.

Roche announced the launch of the Roche Genentech Innovation Center in March of 2025 on Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston. With an initial lease of 30,000 sf of lab space in the first phase of construction, Roche intends to expand their R&D presence to eventually accommodate 500 employees. The initiative will bring together cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism experts with data science and AI specialists to accelerate innovation in drug discovery and development.

The University of Southampton broke ground in March of 2025 on a £180 million ($230 million) teaching and learning building on the Highfield campus in the United Kingdom. Designed by Sheppard Robson to foster creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence, the 166,800-sf facility will house lecture halls, seminar rooms, and faculty office space. The five-story structure will serve as the new home for the university’s Primary Care Research Centre and the Faculty of Medicine.

The 350,000-sf Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University (BU) brings 3,000 students, faculty, and staff together daily inside a LEED platinum-certified 19-story structure that sits at the heart of the university’s main campus. By replacing most of the building’s Portland cement with other supplementary cementitious materials, installing triple-glazed windows and fins to reduce the solar load, and heating and cooling the building with geothermal boreholes paired with active chilled beams, the project team created one of the largest sustainable and operationally fossil-fuel-free buildings in Boston.

California State University San Marcos is planning to construct the Integrated Science and Engineering (IS&E) building to drive innovation and growth in advanced technology and the life sciences. The 70,000-gsf structure will house the College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics’ growing programs in electrical engineering, computer science, systems engineering, and software engineering.

Rice University opened the Rice Nexus in February of 2025 in Houston's Midtown neighborhood. Spanning 10,000 sf across two floors, the university’s flagship innovation hub is based in the Ion building to drive entrepreneurship and commercialization in association with industry partners. Tramonte Design Studio's vision for the Rice Nexus created labs for advanced tech development and free office space for early-stage startups, as well as showcasing faculty and student inventions.

Pennsylvania Western University is constructing a 63,500-sf science building to advance education and research in the natural sciences. Located on the PennWest California campus, the $39 million facility was designed by DRAW Collective to foster experiential learning and put science on display. Driving interdisciplinary collaboration, the three-story structure will house 17 labs and 19 science support areas tailored for disciplines including biology, physics, chemistry, microbiology, ecology, and anatomy and physiology.

University of Chicago Medicine is constructing the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion to catalyze high-impact research programs and reimagine the spectrum of patient care. CannonDesign is partnering with Yazdani Studio and Blue Cottage on the $815 million project, which will be the first freestanding structure in Illinois dedicated solely to cancer treatment and research. Teams of clinicians, investigators, and physician-scientists will come together to optimize patient outcomes.

Northeastern University is constructing a permanent campus for the Roux Institute in Portland, Maine. Designed by CambridgeSeven, the $500 million project will feature the 245,000-sf Alfond Center, a vibrant hub for learning, research, and collaboration. The six-story facility will accommodate programs in artificial intelligence, computer and data sciences, digital engineering, life sciences, and medicine.

Chico State University opened the $98 million building for the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences in February of 2025 in California. Designed by AC Martin, the 94,000-sf structure provides 22 classrooms, five teaching labs, conference and breakout rooms, faculty offices, and a 130-seat tiered lecture hall. The open-plan facility accommodates nine academic departments, strategically collocating resources to maximize space use.

The successful decarbonization of labs and other critical science environments to increase energy efficiency, occupant safety, and annual savings requires a goal-oriented project team with the cultural mindset to adopt effectual technology/engineering processes, procurement strategies, and incentive-based outcomes. Science and engineering facilities often encounter substantial obstacles, such as cost restraints, safety issues, restrictive regulations, and tight deadlines, when completing the massive energy transition necessary to decarbonize their labs. 

Imperial College London is planning to construct the pioneering Fleming Centre to accelerate groundbreaking research into antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Envisioned as a global beacon for healthcare change, the highly flexible building will bring leading investigators, clinicians, and behavioral experts together with pharmaceutical partners and domestic and international policymakers.