Biomedical

Washington University School of Medicine will break ground in spring of 2022 on a $150 million vertical expansion of the Steven & Susan Lipstein BJC Institute of Health in St. Louis. Designed by Lawrence Group to promote collaboration and discovery, the six-story, 160,000-sf addition will provide 103,000 sf of biomedical research space and a 7,900-sf BSL-3 laboratory for the study of infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2 and tuberculosis.

Texas Biomedical Research Institute broke ground in December of 2021 on a $15 million nonhuman primate complex in San Antonio. Part of the Southwest National Primate Research Center, the four-building expansion will feature three large structures offering indoor and outdoor housing environments. An 18,000-sf animal care facility will provide a state-of-the-art veterinary clinic, pathology labs, and a staff meeting hub.

Genentech has agreed to a whole-building lease for a 229,000-sf life sciences facility at Gateway Commons in South San Francisco. Developed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities and Boston Properties, 751 Gateway will provide leading-edge lab and office environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical research. Featuring best-in-class amenities, the collaborative structure represents the first phase of a vibrant biomedical campus. Construction is ongoing with initial occupancy expected in early 2024. 

The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is constructing the $325 million New Education and Research Building in Worcester. Designed by ZGF Architects and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, the 350,000-sf facility will house the departments of neurology and neurobiology, a gene therapy center, and programs in animal research, molecular medicine, and human genetics and evolutionary biology.

BeiGene is planning to break ground in 2022 on a pharmaceutical manufacturing and research center in Hopewell, N.J. Located on the Princeton West Innovation Campus, the integrated complex will provide 400,000 sf of dedicated space for commercial-stage production of innovative cancer therapies. Offering up to 16,000 liters of biologics capacity, the facility will also include clinical R&D labs and collaborative office environments. IPS is the architect and engineer for the project, which will be built by DPR Construction.

AstraZeneca opened The Discovery Centre in November of 2021 in the United Kingdom. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron and BDP, the £1 billion R&D facility can accommodate over 2,200 investigators engaged in the creation of next-generation therapeutics and innovative precision medicines. Integrating advanced robotic and AI-driven technologies, the 580,000-sf project is strategically sited on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to promote collaboration and convergence with neighboring institutions and industry partners. 

The University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern broke ground on the Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Building in November of 2021. Located on the East Campus of UT Southwestern Medical Center, the 150,000-sf facility will strategically collocate complementary research programs to foster the discovery and development of innovative medical solutions.

Autolus Therapeutics broke ground in November of 2021 on a £66 million cell manufacturing facility in Stevenage in the United Kingdom. Accommodating the production of chimeric antigen receptor T-cells for the treatment of cancer, the 80,730-sf project is being built by Merit using modular offsite construction methodology to significantly accelerate the construction timeline and reduce carbon emissions.

Amgen broke ground in November of 2021 on a $365 million biomanufacturing plant in New Albany, Ohio. Created by the design-build team of CRB and Turner Construction, the smart factory will leverage advanced automation technologies to optimize the assembly and packaging of injectable medicines. The 270,000-sf facility will accommodate 400 new employees and an array of collaborative and industrial robots.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the third quarter of 2021. Key points include:

Sterling Bay began construction in October of 2021 on a 320,000-sf life sciences center in Chicago. Designed by Gensler, the eight-story ALLY building will provide leading-edge lab and office environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical tenants. With 15’ floor-to-floor heights, the 280,000-rsf project will offer flexible floor plates of approximately 42,000 sf.

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies broke ground in October of 2021 on a $2 billion production facility in Holly Springs, N.C. Enabling large-scale cell culture manufacturing for the creation of bulk drug substances, the structure will accommodate eight 20,000-liter bioreactors with the expansion potential for a further 24 20,000-liter bioreactors to meet market demand. Powered by clean energy, the sustainably designed complex will feature advanced systems for waste disposal and recycling.

The University of Vermont is building the $45 million Firestone Medical Research Building in Burlington. Designed by Payette and Black River Design, the collaborative 62,250-sf structure will provide the Larner College of Medicine with core facilities, flexible labs, conference rooms, and support spaces.

Moderna is partnering with Alexandria Real Estate Equities to create a 462,000-rsf headquarters and research facility at the Alexandria Center development at One Kendall Square. Accelerating the discovery and development of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, the collaborative structure will feature leading-edge R&D labs, sophisticated offices, and engaging gathering spaces.

AstraZeneca is planning to construct a $360 million manufacturing center in the Blanchardstown region of Dublin. Located on the Alexion Campus in College Park, the next-generation facility will leverage advanced process technologies and digital innovation solutions to produce small-molecule APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients). Significantly reducing commercialization lead times, the sustainably designed structure will integrate lean manufacturing practices to lower operating costs and reduce carbon emissions.