Research and Development

The University of Wisconsin-Madison began building a second tower at the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research in April of 2011. The $134.8 million, nine-story facility will support research in cardiovascular diseases, cell and regenerative biology, molecular medicine, neurodegenerative diseases, eye research, and cancer. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2013. Construction on a third tower at the site could begin in 2014.

SUNY Upstate Medical University broke ground on a $72 million expansion of the Institute for Human Performance in April of 2011. Located in Syracuse, N.Y., the 158,273-sf project will support research on behavioral disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and visual system disorders. The facility will be constructed adjacent to the existing Institute for Human Performance and is slated for completion in 2013.

The Texas Biomedical Research Institute will begin construction in early 2012 on a 70,000-sf expansion of its San Antonio campus. Designed by Lake Flato Architects and FKP Architects, the project will provide additional labs and offices for the Southwest National Primate Research Center and programs in regenerative medicine, virology, and immunology. The MEP design consultant for the expansion is HMG & Associates of San Antonio. Completion is expected in mid-2013. LEED certification will be sought for the facility.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory will open the $95 million Chemical and Materials Sciences Building in June of 2011 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The three-story, 160,000-sf facility will provide advanced research laboratories and equipment suites. The project team includes architect Cannon Design and construction manager McCarthy Building Companies. Original concept design was completed by Flad Architects of Madison, Wis. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

Rochester Institute of Technology broke ground on the $35 million Golisano Institute for Sustainability in April of 2011 in Rochester, N.Y. The 75,000-sf project is support by a $13.1 million NIST construction grant and $10 million in funding from the state of New York. The multidisciplinary facility will provide labs, classrooms, and conference rooms for research and development of sustainable business practices.

General Electric Aviation broke ground on the $51 million Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research and Development Center (EPISCENTER) in April of 2011. Sited on land owned by the University of Dayton, the 120,000-sf facility will support research on electrical power systems for aircraft, ships, and automobiles. Featuring advanced simulation suites, the four-story facility will include a 40,000-sf office building and an 80,000-sf research facility. EPISCENTER will serve as an anchor of the Ohio Aerospace Hub of Innovation and Opportunity.

The University of Maine is engaged in a $22.4 million expansion of the AEWC Advanced Structures and Composites Center in Orono. The 35,000-sf facility includes a 2,500-sf nanocomposites laboratory, offices, classrooms, and the Offshore Wind Laboratory. The wind lab features a reaction wall and floor for structural testing of wind turbine blades as well as an environmental simulation area and a wave-wind basin. A robotic composite manufacturing suite will produce turbine blades on site.

The University of Rochester Medical Center opened the $76.4 million Saunders Research Building in April of 2011 in Rochester, N.Y. The 200,000-sf interdisciplinary facility houses labs, offices, classrooms, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Ground was broken on the project in October of 2008. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

The University of Michigan broke ground on the $46 million Center of Excellence in Nanomechanical Science and Engineering in Ann Arbor in April of 2011. The 62,800-sf facility will support interdisciplinary research in nanoengineering, imaging and optics, materials, biosystems, micro-bioengineering, mechanics and mechanical testing, and microdynamics. The three-story center will house 60 lab modules, eight specialized chambers, faculty offices, and a subterranean lab built to minimize vibration. Completion is expected in mid-2013.

Columbia University broke ground on its Manhattanville Campus in New York in March of 2011. The 17-acre site in West Harlem will house several new buildings including the Jerome L. Greene Science Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior which is slated for completion in 2015. Columbia’s Manhattanville campus will meet LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) standards. The project team for the LEED-ND program includes Renzo Piano Building Workshop and architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Ground was broken in April of 2011 on the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Disputanta, Va. The collaborative research facility represents a partnership of the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University. Founding industry partners include Canon Virginia, Chromalloy, Newport News Shipbuilding, Rolls-Royce, Sandvik Coromant, and Siemens.

The University of Adelaide is planning to build a $97 million facility to house the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing. Designed by Hames Sharley of Adelaide, the six-story building will provide research labs, instructional space, and a 400-seat lecture hall.

The University of Queensland will build the $107 million Advanced Engineering Building in Brisbane. Located on the St. Lucia campus, the seven-story, 236,808-sf facility will be built to attain a Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. The building will house instructional space, testing labs, design studios, administrative offices, and an auditorium. The general contractor for the project is Watpac Construction.

The University of Leicester will break ground in spring of 2011 on the $20.5 million Cardiovascular Research Centre (CRC). The four-story, 23,680-sf facility will be built as an addition to the clinical sciences wing of Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, U.K. The project team includes architectural firm ADP of Birmingham and general contractor Morgan Sindall. The CRC will house research laboratories, academic space, and a sample bank. Completion is expected in February of 2012.

Rice University dedicated the $44.5 million Brockman Hall for Physics in March of 2011. Construction began on the 111,000-sf facility in fall of 2009. The project was supported by $11 million in stimulus funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The four-story building houses advanced laboratories for experimental, theoretical, and applied physics.