Biomedical

Innovation hubs and incubators are emerging as the best solution to help universities, entrepreneurs, researchers, and students transform their creative ideas into viable commercial ventures. Users want facilities that focus on entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation; foster interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships; offer responsive and flexible spaces; create a spirit of ground-up innovation; support commercialization of ideas/products; and connect to nearby universities, companies, and amenities.

Premier BioSource broke ground in August of 2018 on a $7.5 million facility for the production of research swine in Rensselaer, Ind. The 78,000-sf farrow-to-finish complex will accommodate 600 breeding sows, housing a total of 4,752 pigs at full capacity. The facility is strategically sited in Jasper county to enable Premier BioSource to meet the needs of clients in the eastern United States. Completion is expected by June of 2019.

LA BioMed is planning to build a $63 million bioscience research facility on its existing campus in Torrance, Calif. The four-story building will include an 18,000-sf business incubator able to accommodate up to 30 companies at full capacity. The project will support the translation of research discoveries into innovative solutions and products. Occupancy is expected in February of 2019. 

The Bioprocess Innovation Center is the new office and research headquarters for FUJIFILM Diosynth Technologies in Research Triangle Park. The three-story facility combines research laboratories and administration into one building and fosters a strong sense of community, despite the isolated suburban setting. The project re-conceptualizes the role of a research laboratory building as a “home for a team of scientists.” The company’s research capabilities are showcased as visitors see the lab spaces as they approach the building.

The United Kingdom's Medical Research Council is planning to build the £75 million London Institute of Medical Sciences. Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the 110,000-sf project will provide collaborative biomedical research facilities including two CL-2 biocontainment labs, vibration-mitigated imaging suites, core biotechnology labs, write-up areas, and a data center. The nine-story facility is being created in partnership with Imperial College London and will accommodate up to 45 research groups currently dispersed around Hammersmith Hospital.

Exact Sciences broke ground in August of 2018 on its new corporate headquarters in Madison, Wis. Located in the University Research Park developed by UW Madison, the five-story, 138,000-sf Innovation One facility will be fully leased by Exact Sciences. The $60 million project was designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates and is being built by general contractor Findorff.

Texas Tech University is planning to build a $90 million facility for the School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo. Located at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, the two-building complex will include a clinical skills training center for large animal procedures. The school will accommodate 60 students per year for a total enrollment of 240 for the four-year program, as well as serving up to 200 graduate students who are not seeking a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Construction could begin as early as fall of 2019 with completion in fall of 2021.

Atara Biotherapeutics opened a $55 million manufacturing facility in June of 2018 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Designed by HPA Architects to meet LEED sustainable design criteria, the Atara T-cell Operations and Manufacturing (ATOM) center houses a 90,000-sf facility for the production of CAR-T allogeneic therapies, as well as additional R&D labs and offices. The project was developed by Sares-Regis Group with Atara signing a 15-year lease for the building.

Pfizer is planning to construct a 400,000-sf modular aseptic processing facility on its existing campus in Portage, Mich. Part of a $1.1 billion investment in Kalamazoo County over the next six years, the $465 million center will be one of the world’s most advanced facilities for the manufacture of sterile injectables.

Ross University’s School of Veterinary Medicine opened the $10.5 million Research and Pathology Building in July of 2018 in Basseterre, Saint Kitts. Providing eight laboratories, the 19,000-sf facility offers 13,000 sf of research space, 4,000 sf of student space including a 1,500-sf learning center, and 2,000 sf of pathology space with suites for necropsy and histology. Designed to promote multidisciplinary collaboration and interaction, the building will support the One Health initiative in addressing the interconnectivity of animal, human, and environmental health.

The University of Vermont is planning to build the $45 million Biomedical Research Complex in Burlington. Designed by Payette and Black River Design, the project includes construction of a 60,000-gsf (35,000-asf) facility to provide flexible, collaborative research space for the Larner College of Medicine. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which will allow faculty and staff to share resources efficiently across disciplines and departments.

16 Tech Community Corporation will break ground in fall of 2018 on the $30 million Advanced Research and Innovation Facility in Indianapolis. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute will lease space in the five-story, 120,000-sf building, which represents the first phase of construction in the 16 Tech Innovation District. The 60-acre development will include a second office and research building, a 250-unit apartment complex, and renovated warehouse facilities.

Harvard University's Center for Climate Health and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) has created the Healthy Buildings Program to study the effects of the built environment on health, productivity, and wellbeing. The nine foundations of a healthy building can optimize occupant health, preferably in a smoke-free environment with active design to promote movement.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals opened a 170,000-sf R&D facility in San Diego in June of 2018. Although over 70 percent of the Torrey Pines center is dedicated to research, the project also features a 4,000-sf business incubator suite and a 1,500-sf learning lab for STEAM programs in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Alexandria Real Estate Equities oversaw construction of the leased site, which has attained LEED Gold sustainable design certification.

The University of Aberystwyth is planning to create VetHub 1, a human and animal health research facility in the United Kingdom. Located on the Penglais campus in Aberystwyth, the project includes the renovation and expansion of an existing 5,231-sf structure to provide three BSL-3 labs, two BSL-2 labs, and associated office spaces. The facility will support the development of new products, diagnostic tests, and strategies for the nation's agricultural, veterinary, and biotechnology industries.