Clark University broke ground in April of 2022 on the Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design in Worcester, Mass. Designed by Ayers Saint Gross as a hub for interdisciplinary innovation, the two-wing structure will house the Department of Computer Science, the Becker School of Design & Technology, and some programs within the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.
Funding for life sciences is booming, causing a space demand surge in already tight markets across North America. Companies that are ramping up production or spinning out of university labs often lease space in new or in-progress buildings but can have trouble finding the perfect fit. Commercial building inventory, both built and under construction, consists mainly of office space with systems that are incompatible with modern research missions. Outside of a few biotech-focused cities—Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle, for example—it’s hard to find a developer that understands lab space needs, so a life sciences company might hire an architect to work with developers on a redesign. Space considerations include zoning constraints, floor-to-floor heights, minimum floor plate, and electrical capacity.
UK Research & Innovation began construction in June of 2022 on the £93 million National Quantum Computing Centre in Harwell in the United Kingdom. Located on the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Campus in Oxfordshire, the 50,000-sf innovation hub will provide dry labs, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, and offices where multidisciplinary teams will design, build, and operate quantum computers.
The University of Pennsylvania and Longfellow Real Estate Partners are planning to construct a 455,000-sf life sciences center on the Pennovation Works property in Philadelphia. Designed by Jacobs, the project will include three structures providing a total of 387,000 sf of R&D space and 68,000 sf of biomanufacturing space for the production of cell and gene therapies.
Colorado State University opened the Terra Building in Denver in June of 2022. Located on the Spur campus, the 60,000-sf facility offers immersive environments for agricultural research, education, and outreach. Featuring state-of-the-art laboratories and plant growth chambers, the sustainably designed project includes a teaching and culinary kitchen, sensory testing areas, classrooms, a K-12 discovery center, and venues for events and performances.
Cleveland Clinic will begin construction in mid-2022 on the Neurological Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Spanning over a million square feet, the translational research building will integrate inpatient and outpatient care facilities with world-class biomedical laboratories. Designed by Stantec and Hopkins Architects, the collaborative structure will foster interaction between medical professionals and scientists to accelerate the discovery of new therapies and attract the next generation of caregivers.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Net Zero Labs Pilot Initiative in May of 2022 to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies at National Laboratories. Supporting President Biden's climate goals, the program will catalyze the creation of net-zero solutions that can be replicated by federal, state, and local governments. Establishing a model for the decarbonization of complex structures with stringent power and resiliency requirements, the $38 million pilot will advance projects at four facilities:
Mercer University broke ground in May of 2022 on the 65,000-sf Moye Pharmacy and Health Sciences Center in Atlanta. Located on the Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus in Atlanta, the collaborative facility will feature flexible classrooms that can easily accommodate diverse pedagogies ranging from didactic instruction to active team-based learning.
Growing demand for life sciences research space is driving an increase in office-to-lab conversion projects in the United States. According to a new report from CBRE, office-to-lab conversions in progress in the 12 largest U.S. life sciences markets at the end of 2021 amounted to 9.9 million sf, up 49 percent from the beginning of the year. In comparison, ground-up lab construction rose by 42 percent to nearly 18.8 million sf by the end of 2021.
When the National Institutes of Health was designing two new cleanroom research facilities, it faced familiar development challenges, including space constraints on an already-crowded campus, strict cleanroom guidelines, and the urgency to get scientists in the lab. The solution: prefabricated modular units. Executed well, the modular units shorten the design and construction schedule, provide better-quality spaces than stick-built laboratories or those employing modular panels that require on-site construction, and perform better for the scientific researchers who work in them.
DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners and Leggat McCall Properties opened a 289,000-sf life sciences facility in Somerville in May of 2022. Designed by SGA and Hashim Sarkis Studios, the nine-story structure provides Class-A lab and office environments supported by robust mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Offering flexible floorplates with column-free spans of 35,000 sf, the sustainable development is targeting LEED Gold and WiredScore Platinum certifications.
Caltech broke ground in May of 2022 on the $100 million Resnick Sustainability Center in Pasadena, Calif. Designed by the Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, the 79,500-sf building will house interdisciplinary laboratories that will be accessible to investigators and innovators from across the Caltech community. The collaborative three-story structure will initially accommodate four research hubs:
George Mason University broke ground in May of 2022 on the $84 million Life Sciences and Engineering Building in Manassas, Va. Located on the Science and Technology Campus in Prince William County, the 133,000-gsf facility will accommodate STEM-H programs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health sciences.
Central Washington University opened the $60 million Health Sciences Building in Ellensburg in April of 2022. Designed by LMN Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 80,748-gsf facility provides sophisticated learning environments for programs in public health, emergency medicine, biomechanics, clinical physiology, exercise science, and nutrition.
The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering has announced the 2022 Facility of the Year Awards category winners. The awards include:
