The University of Pennsylvania and Longfellow Real Estate Partners are planning to construct a 455,000-sf life sciences center on the Pennovation Works property in Philadelphia. Designed by Jacobs, the project will include three structures providing a total of 387,000 sf of R&D space and 68,000 sf of biomanufacturing space for the production of cell and gene therapies.
Growing demand for life sciences research space is driving an increase in office-to-lab conversion projects in the United States. According to a new report from CBRE, office-to-lab conversions in progress in the 12 largest U.S. life sciences markets at the end of 2021 amounted to 9.9 million sf, up 49 percent from the beginning of the year. In comparison, ground-up lab construction rose by 42 percent to nearly 18.8 million sf by the end of 2021.
DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners and Leggat McCall Properties opened a 289,000-sf life sciences facility in Somerville in May of 2022. Designed by SGA and Hashim Sarkis Studios, the nine-story structure provides Class-A lab and office environments supported by robust mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Offering flexible floorplates with column-free spans of 35,000 sf, the sustainable development is targeting LEED Gold and WiredScore Platinum certifications.
The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering has announced the 2022 Facility of the Year Awards category winners. The awards include:
The University of Alabama at Birmingham broke ground on the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building in April of 2022. Designed by Williams Blackstock Architects, the $78 million project involves the renovation and expansion of the existing Lyons-Harrison Research Building to accommodate leading-edge laboratories, computational suites, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, and offices.
AbbVie opened a 480,000-sf biomedical research center in South San Francisco in April of 2022. Offering state-of-the-art laboratories and collaborative workspaces, the leased facility will accelerate the discovery and commercialization of new cancer therapeutics. As the anchor tenant for the Gateway of Pacific’s first phase of construction, AbbVie occupies 11 contiguous floors in the 12-story structure.
North Carolina State University dedicated the $160.2 million Plant Sciences Building in Raleigh in April of 2022. Designed by Flad Architects, the 185,000-sf facility enables academic, government, and industry researchers to develop innovative solutions for global agricultural challenges.
EMD Serono completed construction in March of 2022 on the $70 million Horizon Building in Billerica, Mass. Designed by PM Group, the 149,000-sf structure provides collaborative research environments to accelerate the creation of specialty pharmaceuticals. The mixed-use R&D facility includes approximately 30,000 sf of flexible wet lab space featuring reconfigurable benches and overhead service panels with plug-and-play connectivity.
HYM Investment Group began construction in March of 2022 on a $280 million biomanufacturing hub in Revere, Mass. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the six-story life sciences facility will offer leasable research environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical companies. Complemented by retail and dining amenities, the structure will feature two double-height floors for GMP production and manufacturing activities.
Wake Technical Community College opened the $47 million Lilly Science and Technology Center in Morrisville in March of 2022. Designed by O'Brien Atkins Associates, the 66,000-sf facility features smart learning environments for programs in biotechnology and business analytics. Housing a biochemistry lab for training in raw materials testing and in-process sampling, the three-story building also provides a microbiology lab where students can learn best practices for gene therapy, genetics, cell culture, DNA manipulation, and industrial microbiology.
Southern Research will begin construction in mid-2022 on an $84 million biotechnology center in Birmingham, Ala. Providing crucial biocontainment capacity for the study of infectious diseases, the 80,000-sf building will enhance pandemic preparedness efforts with BSL-3 laboratories spanning 7,500 sf. The five-level project will also include structural biology labs, high-throughput screening facilities, and a STEM education center.
Amgen broke ground in March of 2022 on a $550 million biomanufacturing center in Holly Springs, N.C. Accommodating the company's FleXBatch platform, the project will integrate traditional methods for drug substance production with single-use bioprocessing technologies to create a hybrid facility with unrivaled operational efficiencies. The next-generation plant will manufacture advanced therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, inflammation, and other conditions.
Bristol Myers Squibb is partnering with Alexandria Real Estate Equities to create a 427,000-rsf R&D center in San Diego. Located in the Alexandria Point development, the leased facility will provide core labs for the creation of advanced biopharmaceutical therapies. Housing nearly 600 researchers and staff members, the collaborative building will consolidate employees from several regional campuses into a flexible working ecosystem for discovery and innovation.
Eli Lilly & Company is investing approximately $700 million to create the Institute for Genetic Medicine in Boston. Located in the Seaport district, the leased facility will provide 334,000 rsf of leading-edge research space for the discovery of innovative RNA and DNA-based therapies. The project will also include a shared R&D center with dedicated and configurable lab environments to enable biotech start-ups to collaborate with Lilly scientists.
Piramal Pharma Solutions broke ground in February of 2022 on a £45 million antibody drug conjugate (ADC) facility in Grangemouth, Scotland. Accommodating both manufacturing and aseptic fill/finish operations, the structure will provide additional capacity for the creation of targeted cancer treatments and other innovative therapies. Representing an expansion of Piramal's existing ADC campus, the project is being delivered by Merit using its FlexiPOD V4.0 platform.
