City University of New York has awarded Skanska USA a $92 million contract to construct two research buildings in Harlem, N.Y. A 473,000-sf facility will house labs, a 100-seat lecture hall, and a cafeteria. The second building will provide 247,000 sf of laboratory space for biology, chemistry, and physics. Construction began in January of 2011 with completion expected in summer of 2014.
Ariens Co. is initiating a $3.8 million renovation of its R&D office in Brillion, Wis. The project will include creation of new product development and testing labs, an employee learning center, and a geothermal heating system. The completed facility will help Ariens to support its Lean management philosophy. Completion is expected in July of 2011. The project was designed by Performa of De Pere, Wis., with Miron Construction as general contractor.
The Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER) is slated for completion in April of 2011. Located in the New London Business and Technology Center, the 30,000-sf facility will provide R&D labs for students and faculty from local universities including Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. The building will include two towers, one dedicated to wireless technology research and development, and the other housing a model nuclear reactor. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.
The Department of Energy has selected Fowler General Construction to build an addition to the Environmental Molecular Science Lab at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. The $4.96 million Q-wing will house microscopy to support research in microbiology, geochemistry, fuel cells, and catalysts. Designed to minimize vibration, noise, and electromagnetic radiation, the facility will feature isolated foundations for each of the eight rooms in the 10,500-sf wing.
The design of UCLA's WIN-GEM Building and Engineering VI was recently awarded to BNIM + MRY Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as the laboratory design consultant. The project involves the phased design and construction of a 130,000-gsf engineering complex. The facility will house research laboratories for the School’s Western Institute of Nanoelectronics (WIN) and Green Engineering and Metrology (GEM) programs.
The 440,000-sf Methodist Hospital Research Institute opened in Houston in January of 2011. Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the 12-story facility is equipped with advanced technology to help research scientists, physicians, and engineers cure diseases through translational research. The project team included design architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and executive architect WHR Architects.
Eppendorf Manufacturing has initiated a $25 million expansion of its biomedical production plant in Enfield, Conn. The 130,000-sf addition will support manufacturing of pipettes and pipette tips used in research and medical laboratories. Completion is expected in October of 2011. Eppendorf Manufacturing is based in Germany.
National Cheng Kung University inaugurated the Y. S. Sun Green Building Research Center in January of 2011 on the Lis-Hsing campus in Tainan, Taiwan. Housing the Magic School of Green Technology, the zero-carbon facility is expected to attain LEED Platinum sustainable design certification and receive the highest rating from Taiwan's Ecology, Energy Saving, and Waste Reduction initiative. The 4,800-sm building includes three levels above ground and one underground floor.
Agensys began construction in January of 2011 on a $95 million biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Santa Monica. Designed by HLW International, the 160,000-sf complex will house research labs, offices, and manufacturing space. Completion is expected in early 2013. The building will enable Agensys to consolidate operations from three existing sites in Santa Monica. Agensys is a subsidiary of Japan-based Astellas Pharma.
Black Hills State University opened its $8 million science building in January of 2011 in Spearfish, S.D. The 26,000-sf facility houses a DNA core facility, the Center for the Conservation of Biological Resources, three research labs, five classrooms, 11 faculty offices, and a conference room. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks selected Davis Constructors and Engineers in January of 2011 to provide design consultation for the $109 million Life Sciences Classroom and Laboratory Facility. The building will house advanced laboratories, offices, classrooms, and an auditorium. Construction will begin in summer of 2011 with completion expected in 2014.
The University of Texas at El Paso is partnering with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to create the $9 million Structural and Printed Emerging-Technologies Center (SPEC). The existing 6,100-sf W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation will be doubled in size to accommodate the new center. The facility will house advanced manufacturing and fabrication equipment for the creation of innovative products and technologies.
Dow AgroSciences broke ground in January of 2011 on a seed R&D complex in Olivia, Minn. Sited on 11 acres, the project includes a seed processing facility, office space, and support buildings. The complex will house 25 full-time employees by 2015.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is planning to construct a second campus in northern California. Supporting research on genomics, life sciences, and physical biosciences, the project will consolidate several of LBNL's existing sites in Oakland, Berkeley, and Walnut Creek. Site selection will occur by June of 2011 with construction commencing in July of 2013. Completion is expected by December of 2015. The default site for the 2 million-sf project is the Richmond Field Station.
Southern Polytechnic State University opened the $30 million Engineering Technology Center in January of 2011 in Marietta, Ga. The three-story, 120,000-sf facility features specialized laboratories for the study of fluid mechanics, materials science, metrology, electromagnetics, computerized manufacturing, and energy. The center also houses classrooms, computer labs, faculty offices, and an auditorium. The project was designed by Cooper Carry. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.
