Research and Development

The University of Michigan is planning to build the $75 million Ford Motor Company Robotics Building on the North Campus in Ann Arbor. Part of the College of Engineering, the four-story, 140,000-sf facility will feature collaborative research and development labs, classrooms, offices, high-bay space, and a fly zone for autonomous aerial vehicles. Ford Motor Company will occupy a laboratory on the top floor of the building and is providing $15 million in funding for the project. Completion is expected in late 2019.

Jersey Shore University Medical Center is building the $265 million HOPE Tower in Neptune, N.J. Designed by WHR Architects, the 10-story, 299,000-sf cancer research and treatment facility will feature a 58,000-sf patient care center offering radiation therapy, medical oncology, surgical specialties, and minimally invasive therapies. The tower will also include space for academic programs, simulation training suites, biomedical laboratories, and a nine-story parking garage.

Memorial University is planning to build the CAD$30 million Animal Resource Centre in St. Johns. Replacing two existing buildings, the 30,000-sf facility will support medical research in a variety of areas, including cancer, diabetes, mental health, obesity, stroke mechanisms, and osteoporosis. The project will include vivarium space for animal housing and is supported by CAD$14.4 million in federal funding.

The University of Wyoming will break ground in October of 2016 on the $105 million Engineering Education and Research Building in Laramie. Designed by ZGF for maximum flexibility, the four-story, 100,000-sf facility will feature drop-down utilities and services to create reconfigurable laboratories for collaborative teaching and research.

Auburn University broke ground in September of 2016 on the Gavin Engineering Research Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. The new home for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering will be developed through the complete renovation and expansion of an existing textile building to create an advanced teaching and research complex.

Midea America Corp. began construction in August of 2016 on a 30,000-sf research and development facility in Louisville, Ky. The $10 million Midea America Research Center (MARC) will provide sophisticated engineering labs, product testing areas, and offices. Occupancy is expected in January of 2017. Midea America, a leading appliance manufacturer, is a subsidiary of China-based Midea Global.

Weber State University opened the $60 million Tracy Hall Science Center in August of 2016 in Ogden, Utah. Designed by VCBO Architects of Salt Lake City, the four-story, 175,000-sf facility offers advanced labs and classrooms as well as housing all eight departments of the College of Science.

The University of Rhode Island opened the $68 million Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences in September of 2016. The four-story, 134,623-sf building provides 14 teaching labs, 18 faculty research labs, a 240-seat lecture hall, classrooms, offices, and the Teknor Apex Instrumentation Lab. The facility also houses the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence for Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response.

James Cook University is planning to build the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM) on the Cairns campus in Smithfield, Queensland. Designed by Jackson Architecture and Fisher & Buttrose Architects, the AUD$24.5 million facility will include a Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) laboratory to accommodate research on virology, viral diseases, and vector control. The project will be constructed by Hutchinson Builders and completion is expected in late 2017.

Johnson & Wales University opened the $42 million John J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation in September of 2016 in Providence, R.I. Featuring an innovation lab and a technology and design hub, the three-story, 71,000-sf facility provides classrooms, faculty offices, collaboration spaces, and teaching and research labs for biology, physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, and microbiology. Ground was broken in April of 2015 on the project, which was designed by Edward Rowse Architects and Architectural Resources Cambridge.

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) officially broke ground in August of 2016 on a $75 million mouse production facility in Ellsworth, Maine. The project involves the renovation and expansion of an existing 143,000-sf building to create an advanced 208,000-sf vivarium for the breeding and housing of genetic research mice. The facility will utilize robotic cage management technologies, eliminating the need for employees wearing personal protective equipment to work within containment areas. Window glove boxes will enable researchers to access the specimens.

The University of Saskatchewan will begin construction in fall of 2016 on the CAD$63 million Collaborative Science Research Building in Saskatoon. The facility will accommodate research on water security and plant science, enabling the development of advanced biofuels, water purification systems, drought-resistant crops, and sustainable pest-control mechanisms. Completion is expected in spring of 2018.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center celebrated the opening of the $35 million Center for Drug Discovery and Lozier Center for Pharmacy Sciences and Education in August of 2016 in Omaha. Designed by The Clark Enersen Partners and RDG, the three-story, 85,000-sf teaching and research facility provides advanced drug discovery labs, a sterile compounding suite, classrooms, faculty offices, auditoriums, simulation training suites, and a model pharmacy. Ground was broken on the project in June of 2013.

Brown University is constructing an $88 million facility for the School of Engineering in Providence, R.I. Designed by Kieran Timberlake, the three-story, 80,000-sf project will support collaborative research in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and clean energy technologies. The sustainably designed facility will feature open-plan laboratories, cleanrooms for bioscience and nanotechnology, an imaging suite, collaboration spaces, and an advanced multidisciplinary undergraduate teaching lab.

Reckitt Benckiser (RB) is planning to build the £105 million R&D Centre for Scientific Excellence in Hull in the United Kingdom. Designed and built by M+W Group, the 140,000-sf innovation hub will feature GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) laboratories for the research and development of consumer health and hygiene products, and will include analytical, formulation, and microbiology suites as well as a stability testing unit.