Schweitzer Engineering Laboratory (SEL) opened a $20 million R&D facility in February of 2020 in West Lafayette, Ind. Located in Purdue University's Discovery Park District, the three-story, 100,000-sf building offers leading-edge laboratory and support space for electric power research, development, and manufacturing.
The use of software to aid in master planning is nothing new. At Payette, however, designers and engineers have collaborated to create new software tools to solve master planning issues as they emerge. “We have a range of really complex problems,” explains Jeffrey DeGregorio, a principal at Payette. “Because they’re part of these large-scale master plans, we need to represent them very clearly to be able to tell a story. I think Payette occupies this complicated little niche—complex organizations, complicated campuses.”
The University of Connecticut is planning to construct the $240 million Science 1 building in Storrs. Housing the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, the 198,000-sf facility will offer a 240-seat active learning room, specialized research labs, teaching labs, core labs, computational labs, a cleanroom, and faculty and administrative offices.
Emory Healthcare is building the 180,000-sf Emory Musculoskeletal Institute in Brookhaven, Ga. Part of the $1 billion Executive Park development, the facility will provide comprehensive orthopaedic services including spine care, physical therapy, imaging, and ambulatory surgery. The building will also include support space for clinical and discovery research.
George Mason University is planning to build a digital innovation campus in Arlington, Va. Creating a collaborative hub for research, education, and entrepreneurship, the project includes the demolition of an existing structure and the construction of a 360,500-gsf mixed-use facility and parking garage. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering, the $200 million building will house the School of Computing, the Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA), and corporate R&D labs with co-working spaces.
The University of California, Davis has selected Wexford Science + Technology and GMH Capital Partners to develop the first phase of Aggie Square in Sacramento. The two firms will finance, design, construct, and own the facilities, which will include 250,000 sf of classroom and co-working space, 500,000 sf of engineering, science, and technology space, 30,000 sf of ground-floor public space, and approximately 200 housing units.
The Ohio State University is planning to construct two collocated research facilities in its West Campus innovation district in Columbus. Designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners and Moody Nolan, the 305,000-sf Interdisciplinary Research Facility will provide a vivarium, support spaces, and wet, computational, and core labs for programs in engineering and medical research.
Apple broke ground in November of 2019 on a $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas. The 133-acre development will provide three million square feet of integrated research, office, and production facilities nestled in abundant green space, which will occupy 60 percent of the site. Powered entirely by renewable energy, the complex will initially house 5,000 employees with full occupancy estimated at 15,000. Occupancy is expected in 2022. The project will include a 50-acre nature and wildlife preserve that will be open to the public.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is constructing the Operations Support Building in Huntsville, Ala. Aided by $385 million in FY2019 funding, the facility is part of a $1 billion project to create the FBI’s HQ2 campus at the Redstone Arsenal. Enabling the relocation of approximately 4,000 employees from other locations, the six-building complex will support the bureau's cybercrime research and response operations. Three of the planned facilities, including the Operations Support Building, are currently under construction.
Abu Dhabi Health Services Company opened Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in November of 2019 in the United Arab Emirates. Offering world-class facilities for patient care, the 3.2 million-sf hospital houses 499 beds, with the ability to accommodate up to 732 beds as needed. Comprising four interconnected towers, the sustainably designed structure features 36 VIP suites and two presidential suites located on private floors. All inpatient rooms enjoy inspiring views and access to the rooftop gardens.
The U.S. Department of Transportation broke ground in late October of 2019 on the 400,000-sf John A. Volpe Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the project involves the construction of a $750 million transportation research facility sited on four acres, which will be funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The remaining ten acres currently occupied by the Department of Transportation will be released to the university for mixed-use development.
Central Washington University broke ground on the $60 million Health Sciences Building in Ellensburg in November of 2019. Designed by LMN Architects, the 80,748-gsf facility will provide leading-edge classroom and laboratory environments for programs in clinical physiology, nutrition, paramedicine, public health, and exercise sciences. Completing the university's science precinct, the three-story structure will enable the consolidation of programs currently dispersed in four separate buildings across campus.
The University of California, San Diego broke ground on the $41 million Design and Innovation Building in October of 2019. Accommodating entrepreneurial activities currently distributed across campus, the 74,000-sf facility will act as a hub for collaborative discovery as well as providing a new campus entrance from the light rail transit station. Designed by EHDD to offer transparent views of the activities occurring within, the multipurpose building will house maker spaces, workshops, a business incubator, general assignment classrooms, and a restaurant.
RSP Developers is creating the e-novation Centre in Gurugram. The one million-sf campus is the first privately-owned R&D innovation hub in India and offers leasable office, research, training, and accelerator space for technology companies, academic institutions, and corporations. Sited on 12 acres, the LEED-Gold complex features advanced infrastructure for water recycling, renewable energy, and sustainable waste management for complete self-sufficiency.
The College of Southern Maryland is building the $31 million Center for Health Sciences in Hughesville, Md. Designed by Grimm & Parker as a flexible, forward-thinking facility, the 50,000-sf building will feature specialized teaching labs for programs including nursing, emergency medical services, health information management, medical laboratory technology, medical assisting, pharmacy technician, massage therapy, and rehabilitation.
