Concordia University of Nebraska opened the $24.5 million Dunklau Center for Science, Math and Business in November of 2019 in Seward. Comprising 58,000 sf of new construction and 28,000 sf of renovated space, the 86,000-sf facility accommodates programs in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, agricultural science, mathematics, business, and computer science.
HALIX opened a 72,000-sf biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing center in November of 2019 at Leiden Bio Science Park in the Netherlands. The five-story structure provides BSL-2 cleanrooms with unidirectional process flows that can easily be upgraded to BSL-3 as needed. A manufacturing line with a 250-liter bioreactor capacity supports the production of viral vaccines and viral vectors, while a separate protein manufacturing area accommodates single-use bioreactors with a capacity of up to 1,000 liters.
The Ohio State University is planning to construct two collocated research facilities in its West Campus innovation district in Columbus. Designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners and Moody Nolan, the 305,000-sf Interdisciplinary Research Facility will provide a vivarium, support spaces, and wet, computational, and core labs for programs in engineering and medical research.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo dedicated the $31 million Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy in December of 2019. Designed by SmithGroup and WCIT Architecture, the 45,000-sf facility offers technology-rich environments for applied learning including collaborative classrooms, teaching labs, seminar rooms, and a simulated pharmacy. The three-story structure includes research labs for pharmaceutical discovery as well as a medication therapy management suite, consultation rooms, and a resource center.
Thermo Fisher Scientific opened a $90 million viral vector facility in December of 2019 in Lexington, Mass. Featuring specialized GMP laboratories, the 50,000-sf project will accommodate the development, testing, and manufacture of viral vectors for the creation of gene and cell therapies. The center will act as a CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) site and will offer services including from drug development through clinical trials and commercial production.
Florida Atlantic University hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for its $35 million Neuroscience Building in Jupiter in November of 2019. Construction will begin in summer of 2020 on the facility, which will provide shared research labs, faculty offices, a business incubator, and instructional space for programs in neuroscience, biotechnology, bioengineering, bioinformatics, and chemistry. The 58,000-sf project is strategically sited on the John D.
AZI is constructing an 85,000-sf isoptope production and research facility in Bunker Hill, Ind. The $44.5 million project includes the expansion of a 55,000-sf shell building by 30,000 sf to accommodate a 280,000-pound 70MeV cyclotron. The existing structure was purchased at a cost of $2.8 million. AZI (Arizona Isotopes Science Research Corp.) is based in Phoenix and supplies medical isotopes to companies and institutions worldwide. The facility is strategically sited near the Grissom Aeroplex, a public and military airport with a 12,500-sf runway.
Michigan State University broke ground on the $85 million Doug Meijer Innovation Building in Grand Rapids in November of 2019. Designed by SmithGroup, the 205,000-sf facility will house multiple tenants including Spectrum Health, BAMF Health, and MSU's College of Human Medicine. The collaborative six-story building will enable the discovery and commercialization of new medical devices, artificial intelligence technologies, and treatments for cancer and dementia.
Flexibility is the key to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, long regarded as a prime example of successful industry/academic spaces, where 190 graduate students in the media arts and sciences pursue degrees and engage in a wide research agenda. The Lab occupies 163,000 gsf across two buildings: part of the Weisner building, which opened in 1985, and a six-story addition completed in 2009, a decade after design began. The majority of the Lab’s $80 million operating budget is supported through a corporate membership model.
Florida Gulf Coast University broke ground in November of 2019 on a $59.9 million building for The Water School in Fort Myers. Designed by RG Architects and HuntonBrady, the four-story, 117,000-sf facility will provide 58,000 sf of research labs, 15,000 sf of teaching labs, and 23,400 sf of classrooms. The project will be the largest academic structure on FGCU's campus and will support interdisciplinary environmental sciences programs focused on water quality, policy, and management.
Amazon is planning to construct a $40 million robotics innovation hub in Westborough, Mass. The 350,000-sf facility will enable teams of researchers, engineers, and technicians to design, build, program, and test robots, including self-driving units for order fulfillment and warehouse management. The project will house R&D labs, manufacturing space, corporate offices, and a distribution center. Completion is expected in 2021.
Stanford University opened a $256 million biomedical research complex in November of 2019 in Stanford, Calif. Designed by Ennead Architects, the four-story, 235,000-sf project includes the Stanford ChEM-H (Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health) Building and the Stanford Neurosciences Building, which houses the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is constructing the Operations Support Building in Huntsville, Ala. Aided by $385 million in FY2019 funding, the facility is part of a $1 billion project to create the FBI’s HQ2 campus at the Redstone Arsenal. Enabling the relocation of approximately 4,000 employees from other locations, the six-building complex will support the bureau's cybercrime research and response operations. Three of the planned facilities, including the Operations Support Building, are currently under construction.
Georgia Institute of Technology dedicated the $30 million Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design in October of 2019 in Atlanta. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent & The Miller Hull Partnership, the 47,000-sf facility provides two 64-person classrooms, a maker space, four class labs, a conference room, offices, and a 176-person auditorium.
Auburn University broke ground in November of 2019 on the $22 million Advanced Structural Testing Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. Designed by Chambless King Architects, the 41,500-sf building will provide the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering with a wind testing facility, a concrete materials research lab, a 4,700-cubic-foot geotechnical test chamber, and a high-bay lab with floors and walls capable of handling extreme structural testing loads.
