Research and Development

Northwest Missouri State University opened its new 46,000-sf science building in Maryville, Mo., in September of 2009. The $24 million Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship houses $3 million in advanced laboratory instrumentation. Comprised of two wings, the mixed-use facility accommodates instructional space as well as industry tenants. Construction began on the project, which will support Northwest's nanoscience degree program, in 2005.

Brock University broke ground in September of 2009 on the $111 million Niagara Health and Bioscience Research Complex in St. Catherines, Ontario. The 169,000-sf project will house Canada's only research-dedicated CL3 biocontainment facility. Designed by architectsAlliance in association with Payette, the complex is being built by EllisDon with Crossey Engineering as electrical and mechanical consultant, MHPM as project manager, and Halsall Associates as LEED consultant.

United Therapeutics opened its $80 million pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park, N.C., in late summer of 2009. The 203,000-sf project was designed by O'Neal and provides solid dosage and sterile filling manufacturing facilities. The LEED-certified facility includes a data center, an auditorium, R&D and QA/QC labs, offices, warehouse space, and a fully integrated formulation pilot plant.

The University of Windsor will break ground in fall of 2009 on the $112 million Centre for Engineering Innovation in Windsor, Ontario. Funded by $40 million from the federal government and $40 million from the provincial government, the 300,000-sf facility will be built in two phases. The first phase is comprised of research laboratories and an industrial courtyard and is slated for completion by March of 2011. The second phase includes classrooms, offices, and research facilities and will reach completion in summer of 2012.

Beijing Vigoo Biological Co. is building the New Vaccine National Engineering Research Center in the Beijing Economic-Technological Developement Area. The 22,749-sm project will cost RMB 200 million to build and is slated for completion in December of 2010. Construction began in late June of 2009. Supporting vaccine research and development for H1N1 influenza, hepatitis, and measles, the facility will include five pilot-scale production lines, laboratories, and support. Beijing Vigoo Biological Co.

Michigan State University opened its $2 million large animal MRI suite in East Lansing in August of 2009. Supporting research for the College of Veterinary Medicine, the facility provides diagnostic imaging for animals such as horses and cattle. Construction began on the project in January of 2009.

Construction will begin in October of 2009 on the Turkish Accelerator and Radiation Laboratory at Ankara (TARLA). Slated for completion in 2012, the research facility will house an electron linear accelerator and positron storage rings for the advancement of particle physics and interdisciplinary science. Four additional facilities are also planned at the site, including a charm factory, an SASE FEL (self-amplified stimulated-emission free electron laser), a third generation light source, and a proton accelerator.

The University of Texas at Austin is constructing the $175 million Norman Hackerman Research Building. Slated for completion by year-end 2010, the research and teaching complex will accommodate the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Institute of Neuroscience, and the School of Biological Science. The Hackerman Research Building will include seven organic chemistry teaching labs, 14 organic chemistry research labs, neurobiology labs, and core facilities for electron microscopy, NMR, and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance).

The University of Western Ontario's $22 million Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion is slated for completion in September of 2009. Located in London, Ontario, the 45,000-sf facility houses research laboratories for sustainable technologies and materials. LEED Gold certification will be sought for the project. Supporting the department of engineering, the facility features an atrium, a green roof, a wind turbine, photovoltaic panels, and a water recovery system.

The University of Tennessee will begin construction in fall of 2009 on the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials in Knoxville. Located on the Cherokee Farms campus, the research facility will be built to attain LEED sustainable design certification. The project will utilize solar and geothermal energy and is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Air Force Research Laboratory broke ground on a $36 million expansion of its research facilities at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in July of 2009. The design/build project includes 91,000-sf of new construction and 56,000-sf of renovation. The facilities will support research and administration for AFRL's sensors directorate. Occupancy is slated for April of 2011. Design partners for the project include Edge and Tinney Architects, Heapy Engineering, LJB Inc., and Acoustical Systems.

The University of Oklahoma is constructing the Devon Energy Hall and the ExxonMobile Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility. Both projects are expected to reach completion in fall of 2009. The total cost of both facilities was $42.2 million. Housing two teaching labs and three classrooms, the Devon Energy Hall will provide research space for the College of Engineering's School of Computer Science and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Engineering Practice Facility will house interdisciplinary instructional space for engineering students.

The U.S. Army broke ground on the $40.3 million Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory in August of 2009. Located at the Tank-Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center in Warren, Mich., the 30,000-sf facility will house testing laboratories for military ground vehicles. Completion is expected by September of 2011. 

The University of Oklahoma Health Center is under construction in Oklahoma City. Five projects totaling $534 million are under way on the 325-acre campus. New construction includes the OU Children’s Physician Building and the Cancer Institute. Additions are being built to the existing Oklahoma Blood Institute, the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation facilities.

Yongye International, a maker of plant and animal nutrient products, has completed an expansion of its R&D center in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. The project included construction of six greenhouses totaling 6,000-sm and creation of an open testing field. The expansion will support development of crop nutrients based on fulvic acid.