Research and Development

The National Center for Atmospheric Research broke ground in February of 2020 on a $22 million facility in Broomfield, Colo. Located at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, the two-story, 42,391-sf complex will provide advanced research labs for the study of weather, climate, and air quality. Offering sophisticated suites for instrument calibration, the project will support campaign planning and briefing activities for NCAR's field missions, as well as accommodating two research aircraft.

Radford University opened the Artis College of Science and Technology in February of 2020 in Radford, Va. Designed and engineered by CannonDesign, the $34 million project included a complete renovation of Reed Hall and Curie Hall, as well as construction of the connecting Center for the Sciences, a two-story collaboration hub offering meeting rooms, a commons area, study spaces, and offices.

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health are planning to break ground in fall of 2020 on the $750 million Cancer Pavilion in New Brunswick. Created in partnership with the New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO), the 12-story, 510,000-sf structure will enable the consolidation of key cancer services in a single integrated location.

Kettering University broke ground on the $63 million Learning Commons in January of 2020 in Flint, Mich. Designed by Stantec as a vibrant laboratory for experiential learning, the four-story, 105,000-sf facility will provide a digital library, a 300-seat auditorium, maker spaces, conference rooms, media resource centers, dining amenities, and collaborative project studios where students can work with faculty and industry partners. Illuminated by natural light, the structure will feature flexible, technology-rich gathering areas with writable surfaces.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is planning to construct the $78.5 million Science and Engineering Complex. Designed by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, the 145,784-sf multidisciplinary facility will house interactive research labs, technology-rich classrooms, faculty and staff offices, and multiple collaboration rooms for team learning. The first phase of the project will create a $64.5 million, 115,000-sf structure accommodating the Department of Biology, the Department of Physics, and lab and support space for the Department of Chemistry.

Fexco opened a $23 million R&D center in January of 2020 in Killorglin, Ireland. Supported by $3.9 million in funding from Enterprise Ireland, the project involved the redevelopment of a former manufacturing site to create a collaborative nexus for entrepreneurship and economic development. The 57,000-sf building strategically collocates the company's 37,000-sf Research Development and Innovation Centre with the not-for-profit RDI Hub, a 20,000-sf facility enabling the establishment and scale-up of startup companies.

Rowan University is constructing the $46.7 million Discovery Hall in Glassboro, N.J. Providing a holistic learning environment for STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the four-story, 68,000-sf facility will offer six active-learning classrooms, six lecture classrooms, two conference rooms, student collaboration spaces, and faculty offices.

Athenex is constructing a $210 million pharmaceutical plant in Dunkirk, N.Y. Supporting the production of advanced cancer therapies, the 409,000-sf complex will provide research, office, manufacturing, and warehouse space. General contractor Exyte broke ground on the facility in May of 2018, and commercial operations will commence at the site in early 2022. The project is part of a strategic infrastructure development plan to enable Athenex to offer vertically integrated oncology services from discovery through marketing.

The University of Iowa opened the $96.3 million College of Pharmacy in January of 2020 in Iowa City. Designed by OPN Architects and The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the 228,371-sf facility features a pharmacy practice simulation center, 23 instructional spaces, 16 flexible research labs, collaboration areas, and a 128-seat lecture hall for team-based learning. The structure stands six stories above grade, with a lower level housing two sterile production lines, a warehouse, and a vault to store controlled substances.

Merck KGaA broke ground in early 2020 on the $275 Biotech Development Center in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. Constructed adjacent to the company's existing commercial manufacturing campus, the 169,000-sf project will provide advanced research, development, and production facilities to support the creation of innovative biological compounds for clinical studies.

The University of Maryland is constructing the $60 million E. A. Fernandez IDEA Factory in College Park. Supporting the Clark School of Engineering's mission to innovate, design, and engineer for America (IDEA), the five-story, 60,000-sf building will feature open student workspaces, prototyping suites, and studios for design and instruction. The multidisciplinary facility will physically connect to the Jeong H.

Eli Lilly and Company opened the 11,500-sf Lilly Life Sciences Studio in San Diego in January of 2020. Part of a $90 million investment to expand the company's research footprint, the laboratory leverages a robotic cloud platform created by Strateos to enable other drug discovery companies and investigators to access the remote-controlled facility.

The University of Iowa dedicated the $33.5 million Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences building in Iowa City in January of 2020. Creating a new gateway to the east side of campus, the 66,470-sf teaching and research facility provides technology-rich classrooms and labs, administrative offices, conference rooms, and breakout spaces. Supporting programs in neuroscience, psychology, computational modeling, and virtual reality, the six-story structure features an interior plaza and a learning commons to promote interaction and collaboration.

The University of British Columbia opened the renovated and expanded Life Science Teaching Laboratories in January of 2020 in Vancouver. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and HDR, the interdisciplinary complex provides active learning environments, classrooms, study spaces, faculty offices, and state-of-the-art teaching and research labs.

Eli Lilly & Company is planning to build a $474 million pharmaceutical manufacturing center in Durham, N.C. Located in Research Triangle Park, the next-generation facility will produce injectable therapeutics and delivery devices for conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. Accommodating over 450 new employees, the project will provide integrated manufacturing, engineering, and warehouse areas. Operations will commence at the site in 2023.