GE International will begin construction in mid-2011 on a $100 million energy research center on the Ilha do Bom Jesus peninsula in Brazil. The 140,000-sf facility will provide R&D labs for the creation of wind and renewable energy products and solutions. Completion is expected in late 2012.
The University of Kentucky broke ground in November of 2010 on a 36,000-sf expansion of the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) in Lexington. The $19.8 million facility is located in the Spindletop Research Park and is supported by $11.8 million in federal stimulus funding. The expansion will support research into biofuels, biomass, wind, and solar energy. The adjacent Kentucky Argonne Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center will also conduct research at the center. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the expansion.
Montana State University dedicated the $15.7 million Animal Bioscience building in Bozeman in November of 2010. The three-story, 40,000-sf facility provides classrooms and laboratories for instruction and research in anatomy, physiology, genetics, animal nutrition, rangeland ecology, and natural resources. A technology transfer room with interactive video capability allows information to be shared throughout the state. Ground was broken on the project in June of 2008. The facility was built by Swank Enterprises of Valier, Mont.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is planning to construct a $42.8 million meat science research facility. Supporting instruction and research for the Department of Animal Sciences, the project will foster collaboration with industry partners including meat companies and food safety agencies. The facility will feature a BSL-2 isolatable pilot plant for the study of meat pathogens and the development of intervention strategies. Occupancy is expected in 2017.
Clemson University broke ground on a $98 million wind turbine research facility in November of 2010. Located at the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston, S.C., the project involves renovation of a former Navy warehouse facility to support accelerated testing of advanced drive-train systems for wind turbines. The project is supported by a $45 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and $53 million in matching funds. Occupancy is expected by 2012.
The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory broke ground on the $4.5 million Center for Marine Functional Genomic Studies in late October of 2010. Located in Salisbury Cove, Maine, the 10,900-sf facility will provide multidisciplinary research labs, core facilities, a 2,500-sf aquatic animal facility, a zebra fish room, and support space. The sustainably designed building will also house the Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Medicine and Biology and research space for Maine's IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE).
The University of Texas at Austin broke ground on the $120 million Bill & Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex and Dell Computer Science Hall in November of 2010. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, the 140,000-sf facility will include 10 research clusters of integrated laboratory and office space to foster interaction and collaboration. The complex will also house a large atrium, a conference room, computer labs, and study lounges. Completion is expected in December of 2012.
Macquarie University has selected Watpac Construction to build the $75 million Australian Hearing Hub in Sydney. Supporting research on audiology, speech, and language disorders, the six-story 20,000-nsm facility will include an anechoic chamber, a 150-seat lecture hall, a magnetoencephalograph (MEG) suite, conference rooms, classrooms, a library, and a café.
The Department of Defense began building a $27.2 million support facility for the Air Force Research Laboratory and Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in November of 2010. The 105,000-sf information technology complex includes a computer center and office space. The general contractor for the facility is Messer Construction of Dayton.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is building the $156 million New Laboratory Science Building. Ground was broken on the 318,000-gsf research facility in February of 2010 and the north wing of the building is expected to open in fall of 2012. The facility will be connected to the existing Integrated Sciences Building and will include shell space to accommodate future research needs. Designed by Wilson Architects of Boston, the New Laboratory Science Building will provide modern labs arranged in interdisciplinary research clusters.
The Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute broke ground on a $42 million research facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in October of 2010. Located in the Florida Center for Innovation research park in Tradition, Fla., the four-story, 98,000-sf building is expected to reach completion in 2012. The general contractor for the project is Whiting-Turner of Tampa.
Intel will begin construction in early 2011 on a multibillion-dollar research fab in Hillsboro, Ore. The D1X facility will house extensive cleanroom facilities and is expected to open in 2013.
The Health Protection Agency opened the £12 million Influenza Resource Centre (IRC) and UK Stem Cell Bank in October of 2010. Located in Potters Bar in the United Kingdom, the facility will provide vaccine research and development laboratories for the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control as well as a stem cell repository. The project will support pandemic response and was developed in partnership with the Department of Health and the Medical Research Council.
Montgomery College is constructing the $74 million Rockville Science Center in Maryland. Slated for occupancy in fall of 2011, the four-story facility will provide a total of 29 laboratories for biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. The 140,000-sf center features a green roof, a photovoltaic array, and an astronomical observatory. Construction began on the project in 2009.
The Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine broke ground on a 30,000-sf facility in Plymouth in October of 2010. Housing wet lab space, offices, and manufacturing suites, the center will support research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of adult stem cell and regenerative medicine therapies. The newly renovated facility will include a 2,600-sf Good Manufacturing Practice/Current Good Tissue Practice laboratory.
