Research and Development

Brandeis University is planning a $145 million expansion of its existing science complex in Waltham, Mass. Designed by Payette, the 100,000-sf project will include the construction of a five-story building that will adjoin the atrium of the Sharpiro Science Center. The vibrant and welcoming structure will provide flexible research labs, core facilities, state-of-the-art classrooms, and maker spaces to support growing programs in applied sciences and engineering. 

The University of Memphis is constructing the $41 million STEM Research and Classroom Building to provide leading-edge environments for programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Designed by SmithGroup and A2H, the two-story, 65,000-sf facility will feature labs for advanced manufacturing, biomaterials, cybersecurity, data science, and earthquake engineering.

The U.S. Department of Energy broke ground in October of 2022 on the $86.2 million Science and User Support Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. Designed by Gensler and Burns & McDonnell, the 75,000-gsf structure will act as a welcome center and innovation hub for visiting researchers, guests, and facility users. Modern, configurable conference spaces will promote interaction among investigators as they explore interdisciplinary synergies and discover new technologies and solutions.

The College of William & Mary is expanding the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) with the construction of a $74 million research building in Gloucester Point. Replacing Chesapeake Bay Hall, the 64,000-sf facility will provide a new home for the Institute's four academic departments: Aquatic Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, Fisheries Science, and Physical Sciences. The three-story structure will feature sophisticated wet and dry labs, an interactive teaching lab, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, and faculty offices.

Cornell University broke ground in October of 2022 on a $100 million facility for the Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science in Ithaca, N.Y. Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the four-story, 133,000-sf structure will collocate the departments of computer science, information science, and statistics and data science in a single unified complex.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the third quarter of 2022. Key points include:

Thor Equities opened a 350,000-sf research facility in Jersey City in October of 2022. Designed by SGA, the adaptive reuse project transformed a former toothpaste factory into a vibrant R&D center offering leasable lab and office environments. Featuring a selection of suites with infrastructure, casework, and equipment already installed, the eight-story structure integrates flexible floor plates, multiple utility grids, an onsite life safety generator, and 125 underground parking spaces.

The booming life sciences industry, whose investment in corporate research and development spending more than doubled during the last decade to $212 billion in 2020, is giving birth to millions of square feet of new research laboratory space in the U.S.—29 million sf in 2019, up from 17 million sf in 2009. Much of that recent growth is in gene and cell therapy R&D.

The University of Michigan broke ground in October of 2022 on the $145 million Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building in Ann Arbor. Designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, the 164,000-gsf facility will collocate the School of Information and the College of Engineering’s Computer Science and Engineering Division. The technology-rich complex will feature research labs and reconfigurable classrooms for programs in artificial intelligence, machine learning, human-computer interaction, and information privacy and security.

King Street Properties broke ground in October of 2022 on the $915 million Allston LabWorks complex in Boston. Designed by DiMella Shaffer, the vibrant life sciences campus will provide 534,000 sf of leading-edge lab and office space across two research buildings. Standing six and eight stories high, the highly efficient structures will feature generous floor-to-floor heights to accommodate sophisticated instrumentation.

Indiana University broke ground in October of 2022 on the $230 million Medical Education Building in Indianapolis. Designed by Perkins&Will and Browning Day, the 326,000-gsf complex will provide the School of Medicine with state-of-the-art environments for teaching and research. Featuring a spacious atrium, the first three floors of the 11-story building will house classrooms, lecture halls, and a café. Specialized rooms for learning communities will encourage small groups to interact and collaborate.

Amgen opened a 245,000-sf R&D center in South San Francisco in October of 2022. Located on the Gateway of Pacific life sciences campus in Oyster Point, the leased facility was designed by Flad Architects and developed by BioMed Realty. Featuring modular wet and molecular labs, the nine-story tower accommodates Amgen's research programs in oncology, inflammation, and cardiometabolic diseases. Flexible floor plates integrate lab and office functions, with open work spaces and movable furnishings promoting collaboration and interaction.

The University of Florida broke ground in October of 2022 on the Bruno E. And Maritza F. Ramos Collaboratory in Gainesville. Designed by Brooks + Scarpa, the $32 million development will add two curving wings to the existing home of the School of Design, Construction and Planning. Featuring a digital modeling and fabrication studio with 3D printers, the 50,000-sf expansion will accommodate interactive research venues, technology-enabled classrooms, seminar rooms, a multipurpose lecture hall, and a virtual design and construction lab.

The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute, a nonprofit research organization affiliated with MIT and Harvard University, is expanding its presence in Cambridge with the long-term lease of a 225,000-sf facility. Developer Boston Properties is transforming an existing six-story building at 300 Binney Street into a state-of-the-art biomedical hub where interdisciplinary teams will engage in collaborative research and discovery.

Claremont McKenna College broke ground in October of 2022 on the Robert Day Sciences Center in Claremont, Calif. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the 135,000-sf facility will provide the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences with classrooms, collaboration spaces, teaching and research labs, and faculty offices. The open, light-filled structure will embody the convergence of computational, life, and social sciences by supporting a progressive pedagogy focused on three key areas: Gene, Brain, and Planet.