Strategic Plans

Royal Caribbean Cruises began construction in June of 2019 on its $300 million headquarters in Miami. Located on Dodge Island, the 10-story, 350,000-sf facility will provide open-plan offices and collaboration spaces to promote connectivity. Designed by HOK to mitigate the potential risks of climate change, the structure's lobby will be located 15 feet above sea level, and critical building systems will be sited on upper levels for maximum resiliency.

The Harvard Allston Land Company (HALC) issued a request for proposals in June of 2019 for the development of a 14-acre parcel in Boston. HALC, the entity responsible for Harvard University's planned Enterprise Research Campus, is seeking a single partner with an integrated team of architects, engineers, construction managers, government-relations personnel, and financiers for the project. Uses planned for the area and approved by Boston’s development authority include:

The Rockefeller University dedicated the $500 million Stavros Niarchos Foundation–David Rockefeller River Campus in May of 2019 in New York. The 160,000-sf complex features the $300 million, 135,600-sf Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Research Building which provides flexible labs, two amphitheaters, offices, conference rooms, a dining area, and outdoor terraces. The two-story, horizontally oriented structure was designed to enhance collaboration and can support over 600 scientific staff.

Virginia Tech began construction in April of 2019 on the $105 million Living Learning Community in Blacksburg, Va. Part of the planned Creativity + Innovation District, the mixed-use residential complex will provide multipurpose teaching and learning spaces on the ground floor, including teaching studios, seminar rooms, a performance hall, practice rooms, maker spaces, and shops for working with wood, metal, and paint. The upper stories of the three-wing complex will offer 596 student beds and apartments for faculty and visiting academics.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory broke ground on the $95 million Translational Research Capability facility in May of 2019 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Located on a brownfield site on ORNL’s main campus, the three-story, 100,000-sf building will provide laboratory and office space to support research programs in computing, quantum information, and materials science.

The founding institutions of TMC3 have announced a new project team for their planned 37-acre translational research campus in Houston.

Universities have always been magnets for scholarship, but they increasingly act as magnets for economic development and community-building, as well. This trend has enormous implications for the future of learning, work, and real estate, as academic anchors look to leverage their ideas and the neighborhoods around them to generate entirely new industries and communities. The resulting developments, anchored by deep and diverse talent pools, in turn attract employers who are eager to collocate with universities to tap their resident brainpower.

Auburn University will begin construction in spring of 2019 on the $94 million Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center in Auburn, Ala. Accommodating programs in hospitality management, the 142,000-sf complex will include a boutique hotel, a restaurant, a food hall, a wine appreciation center, a micro-distillery, a brewing science lab, a culinary exhibition lab, a food and beverage media studio, a rooftop swimming pool, and six leasable residences.

Johns Hopkins University is planning to create an interdisciplinary academic hub on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Designed by Ennead Architects with SmithGroup as architect of record, the project includes the transformation of the former Newseum facility to provide a home for the School of Advanced International Studies, as well as offering space for the Carey Business School, the School of Nursing, and the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Collin College is building a 339,000-sf campus in Wylie, Texas. Designed by Page Southerland Page to provide dynamic and flexible learning environments for programs in science, engineering, information technology, fine arts, education, and health care, the project comprises three multi-story instructional facilities including a student center, a campus commons, and a library.

Virginia Tech is planning to build a $1 billion innovation campus in Alexandria. Strategically sited near Amazon's new National Landing headquarters, the project will provide one million square feet of teaching and research space for graduate programs in computer science, software engineering, data analytics, cybersecurity, and technology and policy. The campus will also include residential amenities and space for collaboration with industry partners. The development team includes the City of Alexandria and Stonebridge Associates. 

Peking University is planning to construct a 169-acre campus for research and development in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Supporting interdisciplinary programs in computer science and engineering, the project will represents a significant expansion of Peking University's existing footprint into the Changping district. Artificial intelligence is a central theme of the country's Made in China 2025 initiative which aims to develop the knowledge and talent base to support an internationally competitive manufacturing industry.

Mayo Clinic is planning a $648 million expansion of its Phoenix medical facilities. The Arizona Forward Project will add 1.4 million square feet to the existing 1.7 million-sf campus, increasing the number of inpatient beds from 280 to 374. A six-story patient tower will be constructed offering an outpatient surgery center, clinical offices, inpatient rooms, and rehabilitation space. The emergency department will be housed in a new three-story structure that will also accommodate laboratory medicine, radiology, and pharmacy.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the second quarter of 2018. Key points include:

Construction price escalation nationally has trended to 4 percent per annum for the second quarter of 2018. Due to consistent increases in construction costs over the past few years, the long-term trend for the Vermeulens Index is up to 3.4 percent from 3.3 percent.  

While the term “strategic facility planning” is often used generically to refer to a variety of initiatives, it is actually a unique discipline with a distinct meaning, says Debora Hankinson, architect and director of Strategic Facility Planning at CRB Consulting. As an end product, a strategic facility plan (SFP) is the overarching document that sets the direction for all further planning activities, from master (or campus) planning to the tactical steps of capital projects planning, move management, and deferred maintenance planning.