Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System is planning to build a $127 million basic science research center and vivarium in Palo Alto, Calif. Construction will begin in 2013 and reach completion within two years. The 143,000-sf facility will house flexible, open wet labs to promote researcher interaction and collaboration. A 31,500-sf animal research vivarium will be located in the basement.
Sandia National Laboratories has reduced its water use by 30 percent since 2008 and its energy intensity by more than 8 percent since 2005 in nationally recognized efforts to integrate sustainable planning and design into its operations and facilities. Three projects aimed at decreasing energy and water use at the national security laboratory have received EStar awards from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These and three additional projects also garnered Pollution Prevention (P2) awards from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
The University of Toledo will begin building the $36 million Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center in 2012. Located on the Health Sciences Campus in Toledo, Ohio, the three-story, 60,000-sf facility will provide virtual 3D imaging technologies for biomedical research and teaching, anatomy and surgical skills suites, and animatronic manikins for medical training. The project is supported by $18 million in funding from ProMedica.
UC Santa Barbara is planning to begin construction in 2012 on the 48,000-sf BioEngineering Building. The three-story building was designed by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects of Santa Monica and will provide research laboratories, offices, and a 100-seat auditorium. Housing the Center for BioEngineering, the facility will support research on detection and diagnostics, systems biology, biomaterials, and drug delivery. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.
The Institute of Animal Health celebrated the topping out of its £100 million biocontainment laboratory in Pirbright, U.K. Housing over 150 investigators and support staff, the facility will support research on emerging, existing, and vector-borne infectious diseases in animal and human populations. The general contractor for the project is Shepherd Construction. Occupancy is expected in 2014.
James Cook University will begin construction in fall of 2011 on the $25 million Cairns Institute. Designed by Woods Bagot and RPA Architects, the facility will support interdisciplinary social science and humanities research with a focus on life in the tropics. The Cairns Institute will house advanced research facilities, conference and seminar rooms, exhibition space, and a lecture hall. Occupancy is expected in January of 2013.
The University of Wollongong opened the Simulation, Modelling and Analysis for Research and Teaching (SMART) Centre in August of 2011. Designed by Graham Bell & Bowman Architects, the four-story, 129,167-sf facility will support the implementation of a national integrated infrastructure plan for Australia. The SMART Centre houses 30 specialized research laboratories for the study of services such as electricity, water, and transportation. The labs are connected by a simulation center that creates scalable infrastructure models.
Oregon Health & Science University broke ground on the $295 million Collaborative Life Sciences Building in Portland in October of 2011. Designed by Sera Architects, the 480,000-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, and lecture halls. The building will also house the OHSU School of Dentistry. Occupancy is expected in spring of 2014. The facility is located on the Schnitzer Campus and is being created in partnership with Portland State University and Oregon State University.
The University of Texas Health Science Center dedicated the $150 million South Texas Research Facility in San Antonio in October of 2011. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects to promote translational research and interdisciplinary collaboration, the three-story building houses open labs for up to 20 teams of investigators, each with eight members. The facility also provides research offices, a tissue culture, a core imaging suite, and a bioinformatics lab.
The University of Kentucky dedicated the Davis Marksbury Building in Lexington in October of 2011. Part of the College of Engineering, the three-story, 45,014-sf facility provides teaching and research labs, a 100-seat auditorium, a visualization suite, faculty offices, and administrative space. The building houses the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the UK Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments. The project was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification in August of 2011.
Cornell University dedicated the $71 million Human Ecology Building in October of 2011 in Ithaca, N.Y. Designed by Gruzen Samton, the 89,000-sf facility houses classrooms, labs, a wood and metal shop, and a 280-car parking garage. The building also provides studios for design, drawing, and fabrication. Construction started on the project in 2005.
Los Alamos National Laboratory will build a $5.8 billion nuclear research facility in Los Alamos, N.M. The project will include construction of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Building, which will provide 22,500 nsf of lab space for the study of plutonium and other radioactive materials. Waste processing and disposal facilities will also be built.
Purdue University Calumet opened the newly renovated Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation in October of 2011. The 6,300-sf multidisciplinary research center is located on the first floor of the Powers Computer Education Building on the Calumet campus in Hammond, Ind. The $2.7 million renovation and expansion project provides updated simulation and visualization labs, including an immersive research theater and a 3D virtual classroom.
The Almac Group is expanding its pharmaceutical R&D campus in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, with the construction of a $7.2 million formulation development facility. The scale-up laboratory will support early stage clinical development of solid oral dose drug products. Completion is expected in mid-2012. A second phase of expansion will include the construction of additional analytical and quality control labs, with completion slated for year-end 2012.
Commonwealth Medical College dedicated the $115 million Medical Science Building in October of 2011. Located in Scranton, Pa., the four-story, 183,000-sf facility comprises two wings, one housing research space and the other for academic instruction. The building features 35 medical research labs, 24 small-group teaching rooms, a 250-seat auditorium, lecture halls, simulation suites for medical training, and a gross anatomy lab with 21 air changes per hour. Construction began on the project in February of 2009.
