Research and Development

Baylor St. Luke’s is building a $1.1 billion medical campus in Houston. Created by Catholic Health Initiatives and Baylor College of Medicine, the project includes a $917 million, 650-bed hospital with two bed towers as well an ambulatory care complex and laboratories for basic and translational research. The 27.5-acre McNair Campus will enable Baylor St. Luke’s to consolidate clinical services currently located at the Texas Medical Center and will also be the future site of the Texas Heart Institute.

Saint Mary's University is building the $19 million Science and Learning Center in Winona, Minn. The three-story, 50,000-sf teaching and research facility will physically connect to the existing Adducci Science Center and will provide advanced labs and classrooms to support interactive learning. Designed and built by Wight & Company of Chicago, the center will feature a 120-seat tiered auditorium and a three-story atrium. Ground was broken on the project in October of 2015 and completion is expected in June of 2017.

A backlog of construction, renovations, and upgrades may finally come to life, thanks to the $2 billion increase in NIH funding Congress approved in December, the first increase in more than 12 years. More than 80 percent of the $32 billion NIH budget is dedicated to extramural research—research outside the NIH itself—meaning that an additional $1.6 billion in research grants will be made available this year.

The National Institutes of Health will receive a federal funding increase of $2 billion from a bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in December of 2015. Representing the largest funding increase in over a decade, the legislation will establish the NIH's annual budget at $32 billion.

Tusculum College is building the $30 million Meen Center for Science and Mathematics in Greenville, Tenn. Designed by John Fisher + Associates, the four-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, and lecture halls for programs in biology, chemistry, computer science, nursing, mathematics, and environmental science. Rentenbach Constructors began work on the project in May of 2015 and completion is expected in September of 2016.

A remarkable evolution in the tools and methods of research is driving a host of trends in laboratory planning and design, including fewer permanently assigned offices, a decided prioritization of computational over “wet” space, and an emphasis on core facilities and shared equipment, according to a survey of research organizations and A/E/C firms conducted by Tradeline.

The University of Central Arkansas is building the Conway Corporation Center for Sciences in Conway, Ark. Designed by Stuck Associates and WER Architects/Planners, the project includes renovation of the Lewis Science Center and construction of a three-story, 50,000-sf addition at a cost of $17.5 million. Research Facilities Design (RFD) is providing laboratory programming and design services for the facility, which will feature flexible labs and classrooms to support emerging pedagogies.

Sanford Health began building the $30 million Edith Sanford Breast Center in fall of 2015 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Designed by Architecture Incorporated, the three-story, 48,000-sf facility will provide space for clinical trials, a core lab for genomics research, a biobank, a multidisciplinary conference center, and a comprehensive range of services including mammography and surgery. The project includes 27,000 sf of renovated space in the adjoining Sanford Cancer Center and 58,000 sf of new construction.

Colorado State University is constructing an $82 million biology building in Fort Collins. Designed by Hord Coplan Macht and built by Haselden Construction, the 151,560-sf facility will provide technology-enhanced classrooms, teaching and research labs, a lecture hall, and two-story collaboration spaces to promote student-faculty interactions. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Construction began in December of 2015 on the $71.4 million Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center in Kissimmee. Created by the University of Central Florida in collaboration with Osceola County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, the 109,000-sf facility will house the world’s first industry-led smart sensor consortium. Featuring a flexible cleanroom with adaptable walls and flooring, the project will provide a semiconductor foundry, a design center, and labs for the development of new technologies using integrated circuits.

Kansas State University completed construction in fall of 2015 on a $45 million facility for the College of Engineering in Manhattan. Designed by Perkins+Will, the three-story, 108,000-sf atrium expansion connects three existing buildings and features a 4,000-sf collaborative learning center, teaching and research labs, a 250-seat lecture hall, technology-rich classrooms, and a data center.

The Pennsylvania State University's Health and Human Development Building was awarded the 2015 Gold Project Leadership Award in November of 2015 by the Construction Owners Association of America (COAA). Completed in summer of 2015, the structure was the second building of a two-phase expansion of the College of Health and Human Development, collocating several research centers near the main academic departments.

Mote Marine Laboratory will begin construction in January of 2016 on a new research and education facility in Sarasota, Fla. Designed by Hall Architects, the building will accommodate the study of ocean and coastal ecosystems and the impact of climate change. The project will provide technology-rich laboratories, environmental rooms, seawater systems, experimental tanks, classrooms, offices, and conference rooms.

The Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada (AMRIC) broke ground in December of 2015 on a CAD$12 million biomedical laboratory in Sudbury, Ontario. The project involves the conversion of an existing building into a 14,000-sf research facility to support the discovery and development of innovative therapies for a variety of diseases and conditions, with a special focus on personalized medicine. Completion is expected in 2017.

The University of Utah Medical Center is building a 130,000-sf hospital in Farmington. Supporting research, teaching, and patient care, the facility will house the Huntsman Cancer Institute as well as providing an urgent care center, surgical suites for inpatient and outpatient procedures, clinical space for primary care and medical specialties, radiology, a diagnostic laboratory, and a pharmacy. General contractor Layton Construction began work on the project in June of 2015 and completion is expected in August of 2016.