Research and Development

Eastern Michigan University's new $90 million, energy-efficient addition to and renovation of the Mark Jefferson Science Building is a green design and construction project pursuing LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent's Ann Arbor, Mich., office, the building features a planetarium/classroom, a green roof, a rain garden, and employs stormwater management and daylighting. Phase 1 of the project, an 80,000-sf addition, was completed in December of 2010.

Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) began construction in February of 2011 on a $218 million vitrification facility in Tokyo. Vitrification creates a solidified glass material from radioactive liquid waste generated by reprocessing of spent fuel from nuclear power stations. The facility is slated for completion in March of 2013. The project will provide research space and test furnaces for the development of vitrification processes and technologies.

Swinburne University of Technology opened the $140 million Advanced Technologies Centre (ATC) in March of 2010 in Melbourne. Located on the Hawthorn campus, the 10-story building comprises two towers and has a footprint of 21,528 sf. Designed by H2o of Melbourne, the facility features maximum transparency to display technological innovations to the public. The ATC houses classrooms, engineering labs, a 500-seat lecture hall, and the Smart Structures Laboratory, where construction materials are tested with the application of extreme loads.

McMaster University is planning to begin construction in June of 2011 on an automotive research facility in Hamilton, Ontario. An existing warehouse will be renovated to provide 80,000 sf of laboratory, office, and business incubator space. The project will be located in the McMaster Innovation Park adjacent to the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET) Materials Technology Laboratory. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2012. The facility will support research and development of hybrid vehicles and advanced automotive technologies.

University College Dublin opened the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training in March of 2011. The 70,000-sf facility was created in partnership with Trinity College, Dublin City University, and Sligo Institute of Technology. The center includes research space, a pilot plant, and a complete bioprocessing manufacturing operation for training programs.

Oakland University is planning to build the $74.6 million School of Engineering and Computer Science in Rochester, Mich. The 127,000-sf facility will feature advanced classrooms and research labs. Additionally, Oakland University will open the new $65 million Human Health Building in fall of 2012.

The University of Pittsburgh will renovate existing space in Langley and Crawford Halls to establish a biocontainment laboratory suite for the biological sciences department. The $6 million project will provide BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities. Completion is expected by late 2011.

The University of Scranton is building an $83 million interdisciplinary science center. The 150,000-sf facility will house the departments of physics, math, computer science, chemistry, and biology. Designed to promote interaction and collaboration, the five-story facility will provide classrooms, faculty offices, research labs, a 180-seat lecture hall, five aquatic areas for fish, a three-story atrium, a greenhouse, and a café. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2011.

The Manchester Royal Eye Hospital will be expanded and renovated to become a medical research center. Designed by Sheppard Robson, the $34.3 million, 100,000-sf project will include construction of a five-story extension as well as a complete renovation of the existing structure. Completion is expected in 2012.

La Trobe University has awarded Watpac Construction a $66 million contract to build the Institute of Molecular Science in Melbourne. The $93 million facility will provide teaching and research facilities for biotechnology, nanotechnology, and molecular science. The six-story, 118,400-sf project will include teaching labs, research labs, academic offices, and a lecture hall. Construction began on the facility in February of 2011 with completion expected in late 2012.

The University of Missouri-Columbia broke ground on a $1.2 million pulse power research facility for the College of Engineering in February of 2011. The addition will support collaborative research with the Department of Defense on energy capacitors, lasers, alternative energy, and algae. Occupancy is expected in summer of 2011.

The University of Pennsylvania broke ground in February of 2011 on the $80 million Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology in Philadelphia. The 78,000-gsf facility will support fundamental and translational research and education with 10,000 sf of cleanroom space, a 6,500-sf characterization suite, and 9,000 sf of general laboratories. The Singh Center was designed by Weiss/Manfredi and the construction manager is Gilbane Building Company. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the multidisciplinary project.

The University of Maryland began construction in early 2011 on the $128 million Physical Sciences Complex in College Park. The 158,068-sf complex will house labs and offices for the Department of Physics, the Department of Astronomy, and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST). The first phase of construction includes a four-story tower connected to the adjacent Computer and Space Sciences Building and an underground core research facility.

AstraZeneca is planning to build a $150 million pharmaceutical manufacturing facility near Moscow in Russia. Construction will begin in April of 2011 with production beginning in spring of 2013. The facility will manufacture treatments for cancer, cardiovascular health, and other conditions.

The University of California, Merced opened the $7 million Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry in February of 2011. Located on the first floor of the Science and Engineering Building, the 3,905-sf facility includes two cleanrooms and a microscopy room. The interdisciplinary project was supported by $4.36 million in funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The facility will produce lab-on-a-chip devices for use in biomedical research.