Research and Development

Melbourne Brain Centre has attained five Green Stars, the highest sustainable design rating offered by the Green Building Council of Australia. The $102 million building houses the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Neuroscience, the Florey Neuroscience Institutes, and the Mental Health Research Institute. Designed by The Lyons Architects, the 11-story, 202,000-sf building was built by Brookfield Multiplex with construction reaching completion almost four months ahead of schedule.

The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) officially broke ground on a 45,000-sf genomics research facility on September 20, 2011. Located on the campus of UC San Diego in La Jolla, Calif., the carbon-neutral project will provide highly adaptable wet lab and computational lab space for 125 scientists and staff. The $35 million facility is being built by McCarthy Building Companies.

Stanford University is building the $197.3 million Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering Building in Palo Alto, Calif. Part of SEQ II, the facility is the fourth and final phase of construction for the Science and Engineering Quad. Ground was broken in summer of 2011 with completion expected in summer of 2014. The facility will house wet and dry labs and collaborative research space. The sustainably designed project will feature photovoltaic technology and abundant natural light. 

Washington University in St. Louis dedicated Preston M. Green Hall in September of 2011. The interdisciplinary facility is designed to support collaborative research and education for the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Providing classrooms and 17 laboratories, the building houses the Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, the International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy & Sustainability (I-CARES), and space for the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering.

Fresenius opened a $27 million GMP manufacturing facility in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, in September of 2011. The 161,459-sf project will support production of infusion therapy and clinical nutrition products for the healthcare industry.

Spectra Tech, a provider of facility services and solutions for the federal government, has announced the company's launch as part of a joint venture with Bering Straits Native Corporation. Spectra Tech provides a single source for secured facility services and solutions, including facility relocation management; information and technology; facility operations and maintenance; modular building systems; and construction.

St. Cloud State University will begin construction in November of 2011 on the Integrated Science and Engineering Laboratory Facility (ISELF) in St. Cloud, Minn. Designed by Rafferty Rafferty Tollefson Lindeke Architects of St. Paul, the $44.8 million project is slated for completion in summer of 2013. The construction manager is McGough of Roseville, Minn. The flexible, interdisciplinary teaching and research facility will support programs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, medical technology, and radiology.

Wayne State University opened the A. Paul Schaap Chemistry Building and Lecture Hall in Detroit in September of 2011. The $76 million expansion was developed in two phases. Creating 96,000 sf of open plan lab space, the project included construction of a four-story glass atrium, offices, and a technology-rich lecture hall. The facility was designed and engineered by Harley Ellis Devereaux with DeMaria Building Co. as general contractor.

Isis Pharmaceuticals opened its new 176,000-sf research facility in September of 2011 in Carlsbad, Calif. Supporting a collaborative approach to drug discovery and development, the project will enable Isis to consolidate the majority of its operations in a single location. BioMed Realty Trust began building the facility in June of 2010. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

The University of Utah broke ground on the $22 million Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry in September of 2011 in Salt Lake City. The five-story, 41,000-sf facility will house teaching labs, organic and biochemical synthesis labs, and mass spectrometers for chemical analysis. The facility was designed by VCBO Architects and the general contractor is Okland Construction. Occupancy is expected in spring of 2013.

Merck opened a $135 million pharmaceutical R&D facility in Ballydine, Ireland, in September of 2011. Construction began on the project in 2007. Merck will also invest $200 million to expand production operations at its Grange Castle biotechnology center in Clondalkin.

The University of Albany is building a 191,000-sf energy research facility for the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The project will house the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, a center supported by $60 million in federal funds. The facility will also include a 25,000-sf cleanroom for pilot solar cell manufacturing and research. The project was designed by EYP Architecture and Engineering. Two additional buildings totaling 300,000 sf will be built in a second phase of construction. 

The University of Saskatchewan opened the $140 million International Vaccine Center (InterVac) in Saskatoon in September of 2011. Designed by Smith Carter of Winnipeg, the 145,000-sf facility houses BSL-3 containment laboratories for infectious disease and vaccine research. Commissioning is expected to reach completion within five months and occupancy is expected in spring of 2012. InterVac will support research on pathogens including avian flu, SARS, West Nile virus, bovine tuberculosis, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Construction on the Tri-Service Research Laboratory was completed in San Antonio in September of 2011. Located at Fort Sam Houston, the $70 million, design-build facility will support health and safety research for the Navy, Air Force, and Army. Housing laser research labs and anechoic chambers, the 181,000-sf project will accommodate studies on the biological effects of directed energy devices. The project team includes Jacobs Engineering, Skanska USA Building, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Battelle opened the $200 million Center for Life Sciences in September of 2011 in Jefferson, Ohio. The 220,000-sf facility will support research in public health, environmental services, and commercial healthcare. The project also provides support space for systems including laboratory information management, environmental monitoring, telemetry, and test-article storage. The Center for Life Sciences will house 150 employees.