Texas Tech University dedicated the 1,600-sf Biological Threat Research Laboratory in Lubbock in January of 2014. The BSL-3 facility supports basic and applied research on biological pathogens and toxins. Construction began on the $2.4 million project in September of 2012 and reached completion in summer of 2013.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology completed construction in January of 2015 on China's first maximum containment biosafety laboratory. Located in the Hubei province, the facility will support research on Class 4 Pathogens (P4) including Ebola and smallpox. The lab was created in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Institut Merieux, a French biomedical firm. Construction began on the project in July of 2011.
The National University of Ireland Galway began construction in January of 2015 on the 88,000-sf Human Biology Building. Designed by Scott Talon Walker Architects, the five-story teaching and research facility will provide labs, lecture halls, and offices for the departments of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. The Human Biology Building will also include a vivarium, a microscopy suite, and anatomy and mortuary space. The construction cost of the project is $34 million and the general contractor is BAM Group Ireland.
The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is building a new 6,500-sf facility in Durham. Located on the campus of the University of New Hampshire, the $2.5 million project will support the detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases. The facility represents a partnership between the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food.
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies broke ground in January of 2015 on a 62,000-sf biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Designed to support collaborative research and development, the three-story BioProcess Innovation Center will accommodate the creation and production of advanced proteins, vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies. The project team includes Alexandria Real Estate Equities and KBR Building Group. Completion is expected in late 2015.
Coventry University will begin construction in mid-2015 on a $50 million facility for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences in the United Kingdom. The five-story multidisciplinary building will provide classrooms, simulation suites for medical training, science labs, and core research space. The 121,200-gsf (75,500-nsf) project will be built by BAM Construction. Completion is expected by fall of 2017.
A unique public-private partnership is fast-tracking advanced manufacturing research and spurring development of the industry’s next-generation workforce, according to Barry Johnson, senior associate dean at the University of Virginia (UVA). The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) is an industry-driven collective with an applied research facility near Richmond that connects schools where research originates with companies who will apply it to commercialization.
The American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute opened in Detroit in January of 2015. The $148 million facility was created by a public-private partnership that includes the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, Alcoa, Boeing, Johnson Controls, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. The 100,000-sf center provides research, development, and production space to support the creation of advanced manufacturing technologies using lightweight metals and alloys.
Montana Tech will break ground in April of 2015 on the $10 million Natural Resources Research Center in Butte. Representing an expansion of the existing Engineering Laboratory Classroom Building, the three-story, 32,000-sf addition will provide instructional space, a student project studio area, and labs for nanotechnology, energy, and petroleum research. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2016.
The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is planning to build the $240 million India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) in Bodi West Hills in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu. Developed in collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Technology and over 20 universities and research institutions, the project will support experimental physics research on atmospheric neutrinos produced by cosmic rays in the earth’s atmosphere. The facility will be constructed over 4,000 feet below the earth's surface and is expected to be fully operational in 2022.
Qatar University has selected WorkingBuildings of Atlanta to design, build, and provide operational support for the new BSL-3 Select Agent Laboratory in Doha, Qatar. Located at the New Research Complex, the facility will support the study of emerging infectious diseases and other biological threats. The laboratory will enable rapid response to regional public health issues as well as accommodating investigations involving biological or chemical terrorism.
The University of California, Los Angeles is constructing the $130 million Engineering VI building for the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. The six-story, 150,000-sf project was designed by BNIM and Moore Ruble Yudell with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant. The multidisciplinary facility will provide temperature-stabilized, low-vibration, and low-electromagnetic environments for the development of advanced energy technologies.
Illumina is planning a 360,000-sf research campus in Foster City, Calif. Developed by BioMed Realty Trust, the build-to-suit project will include two highly flexible laboratory and office buildings as well as outdoor recreation areas. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the campus, which is slated for completion in 2017. Illumina, a provider of genomic sequencing and diagnostics solutions, will initially lease the facilities for 15 years.
The University of Strathclyde will open the $138 million Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) in Glasgow in March of 2015. The nine-story, 269,000-sf building will provide 100 laboratories, two auditoriums, offices, and a central atrium. The facility will house the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics as well as five test cells on the basement level for the study of high-intensity radiation.
Oklahoma State University is expanding the College of Human Sciences in Stillwater, Okla. Ground was broken in October of 2014 on a 76,706-sf wing that will provide research, teaching, and administrative space. The expansion was designed by LWPB Architecture in association with DLR Group to support experiential learning and collaboration. The building will provide 27,000 sf of lab space, virtual and augmented reality suites, and a central atrium with abundant natural light. Completion is expected in fall of 2016.
