Energy Use Reduction

Retrofit or renovate? It’s a common question facing many owners of laboratory facilities built in the 1970s, and the answer isn’t always obvious. A simple retrofit of building systems can improve reliability and cut energy consumption significantly, but a gut renovation can be transformative by enhancing performance and providing associated benefits in recruitment and retention, quality of life, and scientific productivity––benefits that can more than offset the higher initial cost.

The Pennsylvania State University is planning a $44.5 million renovation and expansion of the Agricultural Engineering Building in University Park. Providing multidisciplinary laboratories and classrooms, the project will add 35,000 sf to the existing 64,533-sf (44,581-asf) structure. The building houses the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, a department jointly administered by the College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Engineering.

AstraZeneca is building the £750 million Global R&D Centre and Corporate Headquarters on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the United Kingdom. Providing advanced facilities for pharmaceutical discovery and development, the 580,000-sf project will include space for biologics research, high throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, pre-clinical research, and clinical studies. Designed to optimize interaction and connectivity, the collaborative 11-acre campus will accommodate approximately 2,000 employees and will include an on-site energy center.

Emory University Hospital is constructing a $200 million medical tower in Atlanta. Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the nine-story, 456,144-sf facility will provide 210 inpatient beds as well as an intensive care unit, diagnostic suites, and specialized treatment areas. The project team includes commissioning agent WorkingBuildings and cost estimation consultant Costing Services Group. The tower will be connected to the Emory Clinic, the Winship Cancer Institute, and the main hospital by a pedestrian bridge.

Oregon Health & Science University broke ground in June of 2016 on the $160 Knight Cancer Institute in Portland. Designed by SRG Partnership to foster multidisciplinary collaboration, the seven-story, 320,000-sf facility is located on the South Waterfront Campus and will provide biomedical laboratories, administrative offices, interaction hubs, core labs, a 200-seat auditorium, and space for clinical trials.

Pfizer broke ground in late June of 2016 on the $350 million Global Biotechnology Center in China. Located in the Hangzhou Economic Development Area (HEDA), the facility will manufacture pharmaceutical biosimilars, which are drugs designed with similar active properties to existing licensed therapies. The project will feature a modular production facility created by GE Healthcare that utilizes flexible, single-use biomanufacturing technologies. The duration of construction will be 18 months with completion expected in early 2018.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University began construction in late June of 2016 on the $22 million STEM Education Center in Prescott, Ariz. Designed by LEO A DALY, the 52,500-sf addition will feature 20 laboratories, including specialized facilities for the study of robotics, aerial engineering, space technologies, and high-speed computation and simulation. The teaching and research building will also provide classrooms, undergraduate science labs, meeting rooms, an auditorium, a multimedia center, and a planetarium.

Tufts University is building the 175,000-sf Science and Engineering Complex in Boston. The $110 million project includes construction of a five-story, 80,000-sf teaching and research atrium and the complete renovation of two adjoining halls. Designed to promote collaborative research in neuroscience and environmental science, the new building will provide three floors of wet research space, four core facilities, two imaging suites, a mass spectrometer suite, teaching labs, and seven meeting rooms.

The University of Rochester is building the $25 million Wegmans Hall in Rochester, N.Y. Housing the Goergen Institute for Data Science, the four-story, 58,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide laboratories, classrooms, collaborative work zones, a large auditorium, and faculty and staff offices. LEED Silver sustainable design will be sought for the project, which will be dedicated in October of 2016 with occupancy expected in winter of 2017.

Columbia University Medical Center dedicated the $70 million Vagelos Education Center in June of 2016 in New York City. Designed by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with executive architect Gensler, the 14-story, 100,000-sf facility provides technology-rich classrooms, an advanced simulation center, collaborative learning areas, a 275-seat auditorium, a café, and a student commons. LEED Gold certification will be sought for the project, which features a transparent design with abundant natural light.

The University of Michigan is constructing the $261 million Biological Science Building in Ann Arbor. Designed by SmithGroup JJR and Ennead Architects, the 300,000-gsf facility will provide open, flexible laboratories for collaborative research as well as classrooms, offices, and a vivarium. The building is sited adjacent to the existing Life Sciences Institute to which it will physically connect. The general contractor for the project is Barton Malow Company and completion is expected in 2018.

Queen’s University Belfast is building the $55 million School of Biological Sciences in the United Kingdom. Providing advanced teaching and research facilities, the 118,400-sf project will support programs in food science, agriculture, infectious diseases, environmental science, and waste management. Designed by Scott Tallon Walker, the facility will house the Institute for Global Food Security as well as accommodating the School of Biological Sciences’ 170 staff and 750 students.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point broke ground on its $75 million Science Building in May of 2016. Designed by HOK and Potter Lawson to promote visibility and transparency, the four-story, 176,500-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs for biology and chemistry. Flexible instructional spaces with moveable furniture will accommodate a variety of learning styles in two 98-seat lecture halls, three 48-seat classrooms, and two 24-seat classrooms.

Rutgers University broke ground on the $84 million Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering in May of 2016. The 105,000-sf facility represents the first phase of a planned engineering complex and will act as a gateway to the Busch campus in Piscataway, N.J. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the interdisciplinary teaching and research building will provide smart classrooms, wet and dry labs, a cleanroom, a high bay lab, offices, conference rooms, interaction space, and a team-based learning (TBL) lecture hall.

Columbia University is building the 450,000-sf Jerome L. Greene Science Center in New York City. Designed by Renzo Piano, the interdisciplinary facility will promote creative collaboration among scientists with inviting interaction areas and laboratories arranged in connected quadrants. The Greene Science Center is the first structure on Columbia's 17-acre Manhattanville campus and is funded in part by a $250 million donation.