Research and Development

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry was awarded $10 million in federal stimulus funding in April of 2010 to upgrade its research facilities. The sustainably-designed project will create a clinical and translational research center with renovated laboratories and core facilities. Construction will begin in January of 2011 with completion by January of 2012. The project will include expansion of an existing animal research center to three times its current size.

Johns Hopkins University will initiate a renovation of the New Engineering Building in Baltimore in June of 2010. Located on the Homewood campus, the project will support research on the physics of cancer for the Whiting School of Engineering. The facility will include laboratories and office space. Construction will also begin in June of 2010 on the six-story Brody Learning Commons. Designed to accommodate technology-driven, collaborative learning, the commons is expected to open in July of 2012.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center will begin construction in 2011 on a $10.7 million renovation of its cancer research building in Omaha. The facility will house biomedical and biodefense research and is slated for completion in June of 2012. The project is supported by $8 million in federal stimulus funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The University of Leicester will begin construction in early summer of 2010 on a £15 million animal research facility in the United Kingdom. The project will provide biomedical research laboratories and vivarium space for mice and rats. Completion is expected in early 2011.

The University of Guelph is planning to construct the $18 million Centre for Biodiversity Genomics in Guelph, Ontario. Designed by HOK, the facility will house laboratory space for genome sequencing and bar coding. The two-story building will serve as the headquarters for the International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL).

Cobb-Vantress is constructing a $1.8 million laboratory at its headquarters in Siloam Springs. Accommodating disease diagnostics and biotechnology research, the 5,000-sf facility will utilize molecular scanning equipment to analyze samples. Occupancy is expected in early 2011. The sustainably-designed facility will feature advanced HVAC and building insulation systems. Cobb-Vantress is a poultry producer and supplier.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dedicated its consolidated research laboratory at the National Centers for Animal Health in Ames, Iowa, in April of 2010. The $464 million facility includes the National Animal Disease Center, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, and the Center for Veterinary Biologics. The 500,000-sf project provides administrative offices, labs, and animal housing space. Construction was completed in April of 2009.

Michigan State University broke ground in April of 2010 on a $43 million plant science laboratory in East Lansing. The 80,000-sf building will house research space, lab support, offices, and an auditorium. The facility will connect the Plant Biology Laboratories and the Plant and Soil Science Building. Completion is expected by 2012.

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.