Research and Development

The University of Washington and Gonzaga University opened the $60 million Health Partnership Building in Spokane in August of 2022. Located at the gateway to the Gonzaga campus, the interdisciplinary center collocates students and faculty from both institutions to create new opportunities for learning and discovery. The 90,000-sf facility offers interactive classrooms, teaching and research labs, faculty offices, a fitness hub, and a state-of-the-art anatomy suite.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation began construction on the $454 million NYC Public Health Laboratory in June of 2022. Strategically sited adjacent to Harlem Hospital, the 240,000-sf building will provide the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with sophisticated infrastructure for the detection and mitigation of infectious diseases and pathogens.

Cardiff University opened the £80 million Translational Research Hub in July of 2022 in the United Kingdom. Housing the Institute for Compound Semiconductors and the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, the 129,000-sf facility provides specialized labs, collaboration spaces, and offices where scientists can work side-by-side with industrial partners to create new technological solutions for pressing challenges in manufacturing, energy, transportation, and healthcare.

Lincoln Property Company is planning to break ground in early 2023 on a 650,000-sf life sciences center in Boston. Designed by Arrowstreet, Moody Nolan, and Studio Eneé, Seaport Circle will provide Class A lab and office environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical tenants. Two adjoining towers topped by green roof decks will offer flexible, column-free floor plates ranging from 25,000 sf to 70,000 sf.

The University of Cambridge opened the Heart and Lung Research Institute in the United Kingdom in July of 2022. Created in partnership with the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the £60 million facility features state-of-the-art labs for cellular, molecular, and translational research. Accommodating 380 academic and industry scientists, the 86,000-sf project houses a high-throughput characterization suite, a genetics and functional genomic center, the relocated Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, and the 10-bed Clinical Research Facility.

NASA Glenn Research Center opened the Research Support Building in July of 2022 in Cleveland. Designed by TEN Arquitectos and ASA as a vibrant nexus of interaction and innovation, the two-story, 64,000-sf facility provides collaborative engineering suites, open and private offices, conference rooms, and training areas. Accommodating approximately 164 employees, the flexible and inclusive development features a communal dining area as well as a 6,000-sf outdoor commons.

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has acquired an existing life sciences facility to house the Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training. Sited adjacent to the school's campus in Albany, New York, the 154,000-sf structure is uniquely designed for biomedical research with over 60,000 sf of BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory space. The five-story building will be renovated to create dedicated gene therapy labs, mammalian cell labs, teaching wet labs, biopharmaceutical pilot plants, and fermentation and downstream processing facilities.

Iowa State University is planning to construct the $54 million Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building in Ames. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the 77,000-gsf facility will provide 42,600 nsf of flexible teaching, research, and administrative space for the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering. The lower levels of the four-story structure will house classrooms, innovation studios, and a café, with labs strategically sited in highly visible locations to promote program opportunities and benefits.

Hobbs Brook Real Estate opened a 507,000-sf life sciences complex in June of 2022 in Waltham, Mass. Designed by Gensler, the five-story facility provides state-of-the-art research labs, Class A office environments, and a 150-person conference venue. Integrating advanced mechanical and electrical systems, the highly flexible structure offers column-free floor plates that can be configured to support large single-floor tenants or multiple smaller tenants, with amenities centralized in the core.

Takeda is partnering with BioMed Realty to create a 600,000-sf R&D center in Cambridge. Designed by CBT Architects, the 16-story facility will provide sophisticated lab and office environments for the discovery of next-generation biopharmaceutical therapies and vaccines. Takeda has executed a 15-year lease for all of the research floors in the building, which will feature flexible spaces that maximize in-person interaction and connection under a hybrid working model.

The University of Miami Health System broke ground in June of 2022 on the $250 million Transformational Cancer Research Building in Miami. Part of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the 244,000-sf structure will provide the Miller School of Medicine with advanced laboratories where multidisciplinary teams will discover new modalities for cancer treatment and prevention.

San Francisco State University is building the $169 million Science & Engineering Innovation Center to provide leading-edge labs and classrooms for STEM education. Delivered by the design-build team of SmithGroup and DPR Construction, the 179,000-sf complex will comprise 125,000 sf of new construction and 54,000 sf of renovated space. The collaborative facility will feature three studio-style chemistry teaching venues with configurable workstations that will integrate lab and lecture functions in a single interactive setting.

Conscience Bay Company is planning to construct the Ridgeway Science & Technology facility in Boulder, Colo. Designed by Stantec to foster discovery and innovation, the two-story, 112,423-sf development will offer flexible lab and office environments complemented by collaboration spaces, outdoor terraces, shower and locker rooms, secure bike storage, and a café with a fire pit. The high-performance structure will integrate robust mechanical and electrical systems to meet the demands of next-generation research programs.

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.