Research and Development

Griffith University opened the $18 million Smart Water Research Centre in late November of 2009 on the Gold Coast campus in Queensland, Australia. The facility will support collaborative research with state water authorities and industry partners to develop technologies and solutions to secure future water supplies. The Smart Water Research Centre houses laboratories, distillation rooms, a resource center, and constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment.

Covance will begin construction in December of 2009 on a food safety and nutritional chemistry laboratory in Battle Creek, Mich. The $14 million project includes the purchase, renovation, and expansion of an existing 30,000-sf building. Occupancy is expected in the fourth quarter of 2010.

The University of Minnesota opened the $69.5 million Medical Biosciences Building in Minneapolis in December of 2009. Designed by Perkins and Will, the 115,000-gsf facility was built by Kraus-Anderson with Sebesta Blomberg as infrastructure engineer. Housing medical research laboratories, offices, and conference space, the facility will support interdisciplinary collaborative research in immunology, neuroscience, cancer research, and infectious diseases. Ground was broken on the project in summer of 2007.

Queensland University of Technology has awarded Leighton Contractors a $205 million contract to manage the design and construction of the Science and Technology Precinct and Community Hub project. Located on the Gardens Point campus in Brisbane, the precinct will support research and teaching in science, technology, engineering, architecture, and mathematics. Comprised of two multi-story towers, the project will feature innovative teaching and research facilities. Construction will begin in 2010 with completion expected in 2012.

Van Andel Institute celebrated the opening of its $175 million Phase II Expansion in Grand Rapids, Mich., in early December of 2009. Designed by Rafael Viñoly, the 242,000-sf medical research and education facility is comprised of eight floors of labs and offices supporting basic and translational research. The sustainably-designed facility was built by a joint venture of Owen-Ames-Kimball Company and The Hunt Construction Group.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will construct a testing lab in Morgantown, W.V. Supported by $14 million in stimulus funding, the 35,000-sf Performance Verification Laboratory will accommodate the testing of appliances to determine if they meet Department of Energy (DOE) efficiency standards. Featuring controlled environments with consistent room temperatures, the Morgantown facility will be one of eight new research and testing facilities nationwide. Laboratory planning will commence in December of 2009 with completion expected by September of 2013.

Liberty Industries has expanded its manufacturing product line of Pass Thru's to include the new PureSeal Pass Thru unit. The unit is constructed in 304 or 316 electropolished stainless steel with chrome plated latches with smooth surfaces to allow for easy cleaning, sterilization or disinfection. The construction materials do not support the growth of micro-organisms. The unit also features a custom monolithic PureSeal gasket that allows for steam cleaning.

Clemson University will initiate construction in the first quarter of 2010 on a wind turbine research facility in Charleston, S.C. Supported by a $45 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and $53 million in matching funds, the facility will be located at the university’s Restoration Institute at the former U.S. Naval Base. Occupancy is expected by 2012.

Novartis opened its influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, N.C., in November of 2009. The $1 billion project was developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The facility is designed to supply 150 million doses of vaccine within six months of the declaration of a pandemic. The building supports a cell culture-based manufacturing process and is expected to reach full-scale commercial production in 2013.

Pfizer is planning to establish a research and development center in Wuhan, China. Supporting early clinical development of drugs, the R&D facility will foster collaboration with local universities and research institutes to create innovative biopharmaceutical projects. Housing 200 employees, the facility will be located at Biolake, also known as the Wuhan National Bioindustry Base.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is building the $37 million Nanoscale Science and Engineering Building. The three-story facility will be constructed in phases with initial occupancy in fall of 2010. The interdisciplinary research building will house technology-rich laboratories and business incubator space.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is providing $8 million to Argonne National Laboratory for detailed design work for a new, world-class energy research facility. This is the first step in beginning work on what is expected to be a $95 million construction project. The Energy Sciences Building (ESB) will provide an environment that will accelerate the pace of discovery by bringing together interdisciplinary teams of researchers in a space that can be adjusted to accommodate an evolving energy-related science agenda.

City University of New York (CUNY) broke ground on the $131 million School of Public Health at Hunter College in November of 2009. The facility will also house the Lois V. and Samuel J. Silberman School of Social Work. Additionally, CUNY is engaged in building the $59 million, 200,000-sf Advanced Science Research Center. Learn more about the Advanced Science Research Center.

The University of Cambridge opened the £10 million Alan Reece Building in November of 2009. Housing the Institute for Manufacturing, the 4,400-sm facility provides collaborative teaching and research space, an industrial design and innovation studio, and advanced manufacturing suites.

University of Rochester Medical Center is planning to initiate a $45 million expansion of the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center in spring of 2010. Adding three stories atop the existing facility, the project will provide two floors of cancer research space and one floor of inpatient cancer services.