Research and Development

Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (GRAM) opened a $60 million facility for injectable fill-and-finish operations in June of 2020. Tripling GRAM's existing footprint in Grand Rapids, Mich., the 61,500-sf expansion provides a Grade C cleanroom, two formulation suites, and 14,000 sf of shell space to accommodate future growth. The facility leverages leading-edge automation technologies and high-speed instrumentation to accelerate the production of parenteral therapies. The project was delivered in just 20 months by design-build contractor CRB.

The University of Salford will begin construction in summer of 2021 on the £13 million Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Automation and Robotics in the United Kingdom. Designed by 5plus architects, the 21,000-sf facility will provide a variety of instructional spaces as well as specialized labs for robotics, manufacturing, and health technologies. An automotive hub on the ground floor will accelerate the development of new transportation and mobility solutions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will begin construction in early 2021 on the 160,000-sf High Containment Continuity Laboratory in Atlanta. Designed by a joint venture of Flad Architects and Page, the BSL-4 facility will support the CDC's mission to rapidly detect and mitigate public health hazards. Accommodating approximately 80 investigators, the state-of-the-art laboratory will be one of three centers in the world designed and certified to facilitate diagnostic research on specific, select viruses.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa completed construction in June of 2020 on the $65 million Life Sciences Building in Honolulu. Accommodating the College of Natural Sciences' School of Life Sciences, the 70,000-sf interdisciplinary facility offers six teaching labs, 15 research labs, 28 faculty offices, 52 graduate student workstations, five conference rooms, and a 600-sf student collaboration area.

The University of Bath is constructing the £60 million Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) in the Bristol and Bath Science Park in the United Kingdom. Designed by Stride Treglown and DKA, the two-story, 143,000-sf facility will provide sophisticated R&D labs for the creation of ultra-low emission vehicles. The structure will also house testing suites, prototyping workshops, offices, a business incubator, and instructional spaces for engineering training programs.

The U.S. Army is building the Directed Energy Research Facility at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. The 5,800-sf project will provide the Space and Missile Defense Command with specialized high-bay labs for the creation of high energy laser (HEL) technologies. Accommodating two HEL systems simultaneously, the structure will support the prototyping and development of advanced weapons systems to respond to evolving threats. Construction began on the facility in March of 2020 and completion is expected in May of 2021.

Trammell Crow Company will break ground in July of 2020 on Fulton Labs in Chicago. Providing wet and dry research environments, the 16-story, 423,454-sf life science facility will offer column-free and long-span layouts as well as a dedicated innovation floor for early-stage companies. Designed for maximum flexibility and scalability, the 16-story structure will integrate advanced mechanical infrastructure to support advanced R&D enterprises, with all labs meeting VC-A vibration criteria to ensure reproducible research results.

Purdue University released the "Protect Purdue" strategic reopening plan in June of 2020. Incorporating the latest scientific guidance, the university has developed an array of tools and operational protocols to safely resume campus activities while limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The plan aims to create a culture of safety and accountability through a universal pledge by students, faculty, and staff to assume personal responsibility for protecting themselves, others, and the Purdue community.

While many campuses remain closed to undergraduate students, at least through the summer, researchers are beginning a phased return to their labs, with new safety protocols that include face masks and social distancing; guidelines for space usage and maintenance; and staggered work schedules. Institutions are requiring that researchers continue to do as much work as possible remotely, including writing, analyzing data, and conferring with colleagues. In order for research to fully resume, however, faculty need access to their labs, but they first must be trained in the new protocols and agree to adhere to them; failure to do so will results in the loss of lab access.

Sanofi Pasteur is planning to create the Evolutive Vaccine Facility (EVF) in Neuville sur Saône, France. Representing an investment of €490 million over a five-year period, the structure will house a central unit containing several fully digital production modules, enabling the manufacture of four vaccines simultaneously. This modularity will make it possible to prioritize the delivery of a specific vaccine to address crucial public health issues. The company will also invest €120 million to construct a new R&D center in Marcy-l'Etoile.

The International WELL Building Institute launched the WELL Health-Safety Rating for all building and facility types in June of 2020. The evidence-based, third-party-verified rating system focuses on operational policies, maintenance protocols, and design strategies for the post-COVID-19 environment.

AZIsotopes is building a $45 million headquarters and production facility in Bunker Hill, Ind. The project includes the renovation of a 55,000-sf shell building and the construction of a 28,000-sf addtion, which will house a cyclotron vault with walls ten feet thick to isolate the instrument's two 70-ton magnets. Strategically located near Grissom Air Force Base to meet security requirements, the facility will support the creation of medical isotopes for diagnostic testing and clinical treatment. Operations at the site are expected to begin by early 2021.

Leeds Beckett University completed construction in June of 2020 on the £45 million Carnegie School of Sport in Leeds in the United Kingdom. Designed by Sheppard Robson, the 90,000-sf facility will accommodate sports science research programs as well as offering performance analysis and training services for elite athletes. The structure provides the school's Centre for Human Performance with dedicated research labs including two environmental chambers capable of producing a variety of temperature, humidity, and altitude conditions.

The University of Texas at San Antonio is planning to construct a $90 million facility that will house the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center. The School of Data Science will occupy 84,500 sf of classroom, lab, and office space in the structure, which will collocate the departments of computer science, computer engineering, statistics and data sciences, and information systems and cybersecurity.

Access to quick, reliable, and repeated testing has been one of the greatest challenges for businesses, institutions, and individuals during the SARS-CoV-2 crisis. HOK has partnered with Germfree Laboratories to design a mobile testing lab that will help large organizations to meet this urgent need. These self-contained biocontainment facilities can provide advanced, onsite capabilities for any setting.