Research and Development

Purdue University dedicated the $25 million Hall for Discovery and Learning Research in April of 2010 in West Lafayette, Ind. The four-story, 91,000-sf facility houses the Discovery Learning Research Center, the Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Development, the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence, the Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, the Healthcare Technical Assistance Program, the Network for Computational Nanotechnology, the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation, and ADVANCE-Purdue.

The U.S. Department of Energy is investing $73.2 million to construct a 100,000-sf laboratory and office facility at Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory in Newport News, Va. The project will also include renovation of a 96,000-sf warehouse. The combined space created by the renovation and new construction will become the Technology and Engineering Development Facility. The general contractor for the project is Mortenson Construction. Completion is expected in mid-2012.

The University of Arkansas dedicated the 34,000-sf Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) in Stuttgart in April of 2010. The $12.4 million facility houses research labs, offices, and an auditorium for the university’s Division of Agriculture. The RREC features advanced laboratories for plant genetics, molecular biology, and biofuels research. The project architect was Witsell, Evans and Rasco with May Construction Company as general contractor.

The University of Tulsa is planning to construct two engineering buildings in Tulsa, Okla. The $14 million, 37,616-sf J. Newton Rayzor Hall will house the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering departments and will provide integrated classrooms, teaching and research labs, faculty offices, and conference rooms. The $16.1 million, 38,600-sf Stephenson Hall will house the Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering departments and will feature 16 classrooms, research laboratories, a conference room, and a student center.

Rutgers University was awarded $9.6 million in federal grants in April of 2010 to expand the Cell and DNA Repository located on the Busch campus in Piscataway. The first phase of construction comprises a 5,000-sf cryogenic storage facility built as an addition to Nelson Biological Labs. The second construction phase involves the demolition and renovation of the C Wing in Nelson Biological Labs to create the 11,000-sf RUCDR Nucleic Acid Separation and Analysis Laboratory.

The U.S. Navy broke ground in April of 2010 on the 50,000-sf Autonomous Systems Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. The $17.7 million facility will house the Power and Energy Laboratory, the Sensor Laboratory, and four Human-Systems Interaction laboratories.

The University of Connecticut will open the 117,000-sf Cell and Genomic Science Building in Farmington in July of 2010. The renovated building will accommodate research in stem cell biology, genetics, computational biology, and advanced microscopy and imaging. The $52 million project features open laboratories to support collaborative interdisciplinary research as well as offices, a 100-seat auditorium, and business incubator space. The project was designed by Goody Clancy. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute will construct the Chronic Disease Clinical Research Center in Torrance, Calif. Supported by nearly $10 million in federal stimulus funding, the two-story, 23,171-sf facility will house the Center for Rehabilitative Medicine, the Center for Atherosclerosis Research, and the Investigational Drug Service. The building will also include clinical research space. Construction will begin in August of 2011 with completion expected in fall of 2013.

Dow AgroSciences will invest $340 million over the next five years to expand its global headquarters in Indianapolis. The first phase of construction is comprised of a 175,000-sf research and development facility and a 14,000-sf greenhouse. The greenhouse is slated for completion by year-end 2010 and the R&D facility will open in early 2012.

The University of Alabama will construct two facilities to complete its science and engineering quad in Huntsville. Site work has begun for the third building, a $43.6 million engineering facility housing research laboratories. The three-story, 208,000-sf project will be built by The Gary C. Wyatt Construction Company of Birmingham. The fourth building will house offices, research labs, and classrooms for the college of engineering. The $70 million, 185,000-sf facility is expected to open in 2013.

Pioneer Hi-Bred will begin construction in April of 2010 on a new research facility in Hermiston, Ore. The project will enable Pioneer to expand its agricultural R&D operations with a focus on the creation of corn hybrid products. Pioneer Hi-Bred is a DuPont business based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Isis Pharmaceuticals is expanding its operations in Carlsbad, Calif., with the lease of an additional 176,000-sf research facility. The building will be constructed by BioMed Realty Trust. The research facility will enable Isis to consolidate the majority of its drug discovery, development, and manufacturing operations in a single location.

The Kingdom of Jordan is partnering with Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Daewoo Engineering and Construction to build a nuclear research complex in Irbid. The facility will include a 5-megawatt reactor, a radioactive isotope manufacturing facility, and a nuclear training center. The $130 million complex will be located at Jordan University for Science and Technology and is slated for completion in 2014.

Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine officially broke ground on its $126 million stem cell research facility in San Diego on March 26, 2010. The 145,000-sf center is expected to open in September of 2011. The four-story facility will provide collaborative research laboratories for Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute, and U.C. San Diego.

The Center for Urban Waters opened in Tacoma, Wash., in April of 2010. The $38 million facility will support environmental science research for the University of Washington and Washington State University Puyallup as well as state and local agencies. The 51,000-sf building was designed by Perkins+Will with Turner Construction as general contractor. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility. Ground was broken on the three-story project in April of 2009.