Research

Designing and building labs in the unlikely and constrained location of the prestigious Pacific Design Center (PDC) with Hollywood as a backdrop is a daunting task, requiring adherence to quality expectations, facilities management guidelines in a non-research environment, separation from existing high-end tenants, and compliance with infrastructure requirements. Cedars-Sinai, one of the largest nonprofit medical centers in the U.S., accepted the challenge after deciding to expand its research portfolio. Growing beyond its limited campus is necessary to accommodate the rapid growth of its research facilities and to aid in recruiting top scientists by providing innovative facilities with optimum resources. Hospital officials looked a half mile from their campus to the PDC, a designated cultural resource building complex designed by Cesar Pelli in the 1970s. Known in the 1980s and 1990s as a vibrant hub of premier art, design, and architectural showrooms, many of the tenants now have online shops rather than physical space in the cluster of buildings, leaving vacancies available for lease and an opportunity for Cedars-Sinai’s growth.

In the span of 16 months, Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center formulated and implemented a space realignment initiative that divested 30,000 sf of leased space, generated $2 million in savings and another $2 million in cost avoidance, and impacted approximately 1,400 people, 20% of its 7,000-member workforce.

The University of California, Berkeley is planning to begin construction in spring of 2026 on a seven-story facility for the Innovative Genomics Institute and Bakar Labs. Designed by DGA and Weiss/Manfredi, the development will expand research capabilities in genomics engineering with CRISPR technologies and provide critical infrastructure for life science companies scaling their operations. 

Pennsylvania State University opened the $128 million Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building in May of 2025. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the 144,350-sf project enables a forward-thinking model of social science teaching, research, and outreach that unites previously dispersed disciplines.

The University of Houston broke ground in April of 2025 on a $52 million facility for the Hobby School of Public Affairs. Designed by Lake|Flato to foster creativity, community, and wellness, the 42,000-sf structure will feature interactive open settings illuminated by natural light. The transformative project will drive collaboration across disciplines through shared exploration of the myriad fields affected by public policy, such as health care, energy, and urban planning.

Iowa State University dedicated the Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building in May of 2025 in Ames. The four-story, 80,660-gsf facility provides a dynamic new home for the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering's teaching, research, and administrative activities. The $70 million project features technically enhanced environments where students can gain the specialized knowledge to design tomorrow’s innovative, safe, and nimble production processes across all industry sectors.

University of Iowa Health Care opened the North Liberty campus in April of 2025 to improve patient access to world-class care and advance medical research and education. Designed by Neumann Monson Architects to offer a full range of musculoskeletal services, the 469,050-sf development accommodates the UI Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and UI Sports Medicine.

The College of William & Mary opened a $76 million expansion of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in April of 2025 in Gloucester Point, Va. Designed by Baskervill, Chesapeake Bay Hall provides a new home for the Institute's four academic departments: Aquatic Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, Fisheries Science, and Physical Sciences.

Louisiana State University Health Shreveport (LSUHS) will establish the Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Facility to showcase the institution’s innovative activities and groundbreaking discoveries. Representing an investment of approximately $50 million, the first phase of the adaptive reuse project involves the renovation of 60,000 sf in a former 160,000-sf department store to provide open labs, offices, education and conference rooms, and support areas. 

The Medical University of South Carolina is constructing a $175 million facility for the College of Medicine in Charleston. Designed by SLAM in collaboration with Liollio Architecture, the 186,000-sf building will accelerate progress and innovation in medicine, education, and research. The structure will offer active learning environments including a terraced classroom and a theater, as well as offices for the dean and other faculty and staff. Study spaces will be complemented by meeting, event, and wellness venues.

Stanford University opened its new 167,000-gsf Computing and Data Science building in January of 2025 in Palo Alto, Calif. Designed by LMN Architects to drive interdisciplinary research and innovation, the facility houses the Stanford Data Science and Impact Labs initiatives, as well as undergraduate programs in computer science and symbolic systems.

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.

The Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Center for Quantum Precision Measurement at Caltech in Pasadena will house sections of the physics department in subterranean labs filled with specialized space for experimentalists who require unique instrumentation with stringent specifications, which in large part drove the design of the facility. The four upper levels of the new 70,000-sf facility will include multipurpose space for seminars, lectures, and special events; and office workspace for theoretical physicists.

The New Education and Research Building (NERB) at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School has emerged as a sustainable, high-performance medical research facility that is energy efficient in a demanding climate. Beyond its brilliant façade lie 350,000 sf of light-filled lab and work spaces spanning nine floors, servicing the departments of gene therapy/genetics, molecular medicine, neurobiology, and neurology/neurosurgery. A sustainability leader in the region, the building is designed to have a very low annual energy usage intensity (EUI) of 130 kBtu/sq-yr. It is expected to achieve LEED Gold Certification and be net-zero ready for energy and carbon.

The past few decades have brought myriad technological changes to our daily lives, and experts predict the pace of change will only increase—especially in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Much of the talk surrounding AI focuses on automating repetitive processes and analyzing data, which require additional computational power but not necessarily structural modifications. But emerging technologies, including AI and robotics, may require universities and companies to rethink their approach to designing and planning buildings and labs.