Research and Development

The University of Texas at San Antonio broke ground in January of 2021 on a $90 million facility for the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center. Designed by Jacobs and Overland Partners, the six-story, 167,000-sf structure will provide the School of Data Science with 86,000 sf of classrooms, labs, and offices for the departments of computer science, computer engineering, statistics and data sciences, and information systems and cybersecurity.

BioMed Realty is planning to create a life sciences innovation campus in Somerville, Mass. The project includes the renovation of an existing 162,000-sf office building and the construction of new facilities on an adjacent 7.5-acre parcel. Offering leasable environments for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and technology companies, the Assembly Square complex will provide 1.3 million sf of research, corporate, and retail space. The mixed-use development will feature multiple roof terraces and a one-acre public park. BioMed Realty acquired the property in early 2021.

The University of Miami is constructing the $60 million Frost Institute of Chemical and Molecular Science in Coral Gables, Fla. Designed by Harvard Jolly Architecture, the five-story, 94,000-sf facility will include a central gathering area, seminar rooms, a microscopy imaging suite, innovation labs, and investigator offices. The highly flexible structure will feature open wet lab environments with moveable benches and fixtures. Overhead service carriers will supply power and gas to the lab benches for optimal reconfigurability.

Universal Robots is partnering with Mobile Industrial Robots to create a research and development campus in Odense, Denmark. Designed by 3XN to promote knowledge exchange and enhance employee wellbeing, the 215,000-sf Cobot Hub will offer flexible modules that can be tailored to provide the two companies with specialized labs, workshops, maker spaces, and open office environments.

Canadian developer Oxford Properties has expanded its real estate portfolio in the United States with the acquisition of four new assets. Representing an investment of $276 million in the burgeoning life sciences industry, the purchase included a total of 415,000 sf of existing space and associated developable land. Oxford Properties plans to spend an additional $500 million to repurpose, renovate, and expand the four structures to create leading-edge lab and office environments for biomedical tenants. 

Western Colorado University opened the Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering in Gunnison in January of 2021. Designed by Farnsworth Group with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 75,000-sf building provides experiential learning classrooms, laboratories, instrumentation suites, lecture halls, collaboration spaces, faculty offices, and a central gallery with a canted glass curtainwall.

Silverstein Properties & Cantor Fitzgerald are partnering with University Place Associates to create a biomedical innovation center in Philadelphia. Providing leading-edge lab and office facilities, 3.0 University Place is pre-certified as LEED Platinum v4 BD+C for core and shell, and will also target WELL Core v2 Platinum certification.

Manchester Metropolitan University began construction in January of 2021 on the Science and Engineering Building in the United Kingdom. Designed by BDP, the seven-story, 160,000-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs, instructional venues, a 200-seat super lab, academic offices, collaboration spaces, self-directed learning areas, and a central atrium.

BioMed Realty is creating a 482,000-sf life sciences hub in Boston's Seaport District. Previously serving as the corporate headquarters of John Hancock, the building was acquired by BioMed Realty in late 2020. Featuring robust mechanical and electrical systems, the existing structure has attained LEED Platinum sustainable design certification and includes a variety of collaborative meeting areas. The facility will be renovated to provide sophisticated lab and office environments for biomedical companies. Occupancy is expected in the second half of 2022. 

The Ohio State University broke ground in December of 2020 on the $27 million Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex in Columbus. Designed by Erdy-McHenry Architecture, the 49,050-sf project will provide sophisticated research and cultivation facilities for the development of advanced food production technologies.

The most-read Tradeline articles in 2020 reflect how the industry has responded to the COVID-19 crisis with flexibility and adaptability. From virtual site visits and virus-mitigating HVAC solutions to forward-looking models for office work, research programs, and higher education, readers learned about the innovative solutions that peer organizations have adopted to weather the storm and position themselves to thrive in the recovery.

Western Washington University is planning to construct the $68 million Kaiser Borsari Hall in Bellingham. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 40,000-sf structure will accommodate the school's growing programs in computer science and electrical engineering. The collaborative four-story building will provide experiential learning venues, teaching and research labs, classrooms, offices, breakout areas, a multicultural student lounge, a commons, and a mechanical basement.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is expanding its global production capacity for vaccines, medicines, and biologic therapies. Construction will begin in mid-2021 on a 130,000-sf facility in Greenville, N.C. Slated for completion in 2022, the standalone structure will accommodate two live-virus filling lines. The project is part of a $500 million investment in the site that will add six new lines in existing buildings to support commercial-scale liquid vial filling and the creation of lyophilized materials. 

Cranfield University completed construction in December of 2020 on the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) in the United Kingdom. Designed by Burrell Foley Fischer, the £65 million complex provides technology-rich laboratory environments adjoining a live aerodrome with a hangar, a 737-400 aircraft, and a digital air traffic control center with next-generation radar systems. The innovative facility also includes open offices and a two-story atrium with integrated breakout areas to promote interaction and collaboration.

Millennium Partners and Beacon Capital Partners will begin construction in late 2021 on a 380,000-sf life sciences facility in Boston. Designed by Handel Architects in collaboration with STUDIO ENÉE, the mixed-use development will provide leading-edge laboratories, offices, and R&D suites clustered around a collaborative open space. Located on 4.6 acres in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, the eight-story project will feature a central core of corrugated metal to celebrate the area's industrial heritage.