Research and Development

The Department of Energy initiated the second phase of construction of the Superconducting Radio-Frequency (SRF) Accelerator Test Facility in September of 2010. Located at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill., the three-building project will include a 460-ft long test accelerator and cryomodules with cavities at a temperatures as low as -456 degrees Fahrenheit. The first phase of construction commenced in March of 2010 and involved the $2.8 million expansion of an existing building.

Analytical Bio-Chemistry Laboratories opened its renovated and expanded research facilities in Columbia, Mo., in September of 2010. The $4.5 million project created modernized labs for the company’s chemical services division. The general contractor for the project was ARCO Construction of St. Louis. ABC Labs provides testing and evaluation services for chemical, pharmaceutical, and animal health products.

National Cheng Kung University initiated a renovation of three engineering buildings in September of 2010 in Tainan City, Taiwan. The NT$1 billion project will provide advanced teaching and research facilities for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Department of Resources Engineering, and the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering. Completion is expected in September of 2012.

Florida A&M University broke ground in September of 2010 on Phase II of the New Pharmacy Building in Tallahassee. The 65,000-sf facility will provide 45,000 nsf of teaching and research space. Housing more than 30 laboratories, the $30 million project is part of a pharmacy complex that will include new animal research facilities and advanced instrumentation suites.

Yahoo opened the 155,000-sf Computing Coop data center in Lockport, N.Y., in September of 2010. Using 40 percent less energy than a conventional data center, the facility features long narrow hallways angled in the direction of local winds for natural cooling. The airflow eliminates the need to use circulated water for equipment cooling, resulting in a 95 percent reduction in water consumption. The project was supported by $9.9 million in funding from the Department of Energy.

Dow AgroSciences dedicated its research and greenhouse facility in September of 2010 in West Lafayette, Ind. Located in the Purdue Research Park, the facility includes 15,000 sf of research and office space and an 11,000-sf greenhouse complex. The project will support collaboration with Purdue Agriculture and Science faculty and provide students with training opportunities in plant breeding and agricultural life science research.

Michigan State University broke ground in September of 2010 on the $17.6 million Bott Building for Nursing Education and Research in East Lansing. Supported by $7.45 million in federal stimulus funding, the three-story addition will provide 20,906 gsf of research space, teaching labs, classrooms, and faculty offices. The 50,000-sf project will enable several College of Nursing facilities to be consolidated in a centralized location. Completion is expected in late 2011.

BuildingIQ, an energy management software company, has announced its first Predictive Energy Optimization pilot project in the United States at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.

The U.S. Geological Survey broke ground on a $10.7 million expansion and renovation of its Columbia Environmental Research Center in September of 2010. Supported by funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the 23,800-sf project includes construction of additional lab and office space and renovation of existing aquatic research facilities. Completion is expected by September of 2011.

Staffordshire University will begin construction in fall of 2010 on the £30 million Science and Technology Centre in Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom. The general contractor for the project is Miller Construction. The teaching and research facility will include laboratories, flexible classrooms, two lecture halls, a cognitive and developmental psychology suite, interview rooms, a learning resource center, a dedicated IT suite, and a café. Occupancy is expected in autumn of 2012.

Iowa State University dedicated the $32 million Biorenewables Research Laboratory in Ames in September of 2010. Designed to promote interaction and collaboration, the interdisciplinary research facility houses labs and offices for the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, the Bioeconomy Institute, and the Biobased Industry Center. RFD (Research Facilities Design) was the laboratory design consultant for the project.

Pennsylvania State University broke ground in September of 2010 on the $48.1 million Biobehavioral Health Building in University Park, Pa. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, 93,500-sf facility will provide teaching and research space for the College of Health and Human Development. Construction will begin on the four-story facility in October of 2010 with occupancy expected in November of 2012. The construction manager for the project is Massaro. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Trinity College was awarded $746,231 in September of 2010 to renovate five research laboratories in the Clement Chemistry Building in Hartford, Conn. The funding was made available by the National Science Foundation as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The project includes a completed renovation of the existing labs as well as new lighting, electrical, and plumbing systems. Construction will begin in December of 2010 and reach completion in April of 2011.

Buck Institute for Age Research will begin construction in fall of 2010 on a $41 million stem cell research facility in Novato, Calif. Ground was broken on the 65,600-sf project in summer of 2010 with completion expected in March of 2012. Designed by Perkins + Will of San Francisco, the facility will house twelve open-plan labs, cell and tissue storage space, offices, and a fitness center. The building will include a basement and three floors above ground and will feature a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The University of York opened the £5 million Centre for Immunology and Infection (CII) in the United Kingdom in September of 2010. The three-story, 1,350-sm facility houses biocontainment suites for the study of high risk pathogens and space for clinical trials. The translational research facility was created in partnership by Hull York Medical School and the Department of Biology at the University of York. The general contractor for the project was GB Building Solutions. Construction began on the facility in July of 2009.