Research and Development

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is planning to build the Translational Research Capability project in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Located on ORNL’s main campus, the three-story laboratory and office building will provide between 80,000 and 115,000 gsf of space to support growing research programs in materials science and computing. A request for qualifications will be released in April of 2019 for the design-build project, which has an estimated construction cost of $58 million. Work will begin on the facility in early 2020 with completion expected by December of 2022. 

Capital One opened the Tech Incubator at the University of Maryland in College Park in November of 2018. Supporting collaborative research in data science, machine learning, and AI, the flexible 7,500-sf facility features 32 sit-to-stand desks in an open office area that can be converted into a meeting venue. Located in UMD’s Discovery District in a mixed-use development called the Diamondback Garage, the facility provides laboratories, a conference room, a lounge, a kitchen, and a game room.

Montana State University opened the $53 million Norm Asbjornson Hall in January of 2019 in Bozeman. Designed by ZGF Architects and A&E Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the three-story, 110,000-sf facility houses both the College of Engineering and the Honors College. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which provides 17 teaching labs, 10 classrooms, offices, and a presentation hall.

Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics is creating a stem cell manufacturing center in Madison, Wis. Located in the University Research Park, the $21 million project involves the renovation of 31,500 sf in a facility near the company's existing lab and office building. The completed biomanufacturing plant will meet the requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Completion is expected by March of 2020.

The University of Sheffield will begin construction in early 2019 on a £65 million social sciences building in the United Kingdom. Designed by HLM Architects, the four-story, 178,000-sf facility will accommodate 13 departments and multiple research institutes in an innovative working environment. The interdisciplinary building will provide a central atrium, collaborative lecture halls, seminar rooms, social spaces, study areas, computer rooms, a research hub, and a café.

Park Electrochemical Corporation is planning a $19 million expansion of its aerospace design, development, and manufacturing operations in Newton, Kansas. Doubling the company's existing footprint at the Newton City-County Airport, the 90,000-sf facility will accommodate new mixing and delivery systems, hot-melt film and tape production lines, secure joint project suites, labs, offices, and additional freezer and storage areas. Construction will begin by mid-2019 with completion expected in spring of 2020.

Gustavus Adolphus College is engaged in a $70 million expansion and renovation of the Nobel Hall of Science in St. Peter, Minn. Designed by Hastings+Chivetta with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the project includes construction of a 74,000-sf addition on the south side housing classrooms, study spaces, and labs. On the north side, a 12,400-sf expansion will highlight student/faculty research projects and showcase the College’s signature event, The Nobel Conference.

LAVLE USA is partnering with Old Dominion University to create the $12 million Marine Electric Propulsion Simulation (MEPS) Laboratory in Newport News, Va. Supporting both military and commercial applications, the 22,000-sf facility will house sophisticated instrumentation for the development of electric propulsion, advanced energy storage, and autonomous systems technologies. Construction is expected to begin in summer of 2019 with completion in summer of 2020. 

1. Bringing Real-time Interactivity to Campus Master Planning
2. Making an Old Science Building Relevant Again
3. Scientific Workplace Promotes Collaboration and Innovation
4. Massachusetts General Hospital’s New Methods and Metrics for Measuring Utilization of Research Space
5. Merck’s New Research Buildings Respond to Disruptive Technology, Changing Social Norms
6. Caltech’s New CAST Facility Simulates Testing Environments for Drones, Robots, and Satellites
7. Five Key Design Elements of Successful STEM Facilities
8. Novartis' Activity-Based Work Environments Have Broad Appeal
9. Well Buildings for Occupant Well Being
10. OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Offers Team Science Approach to Early Detection Research

EMD Serono’s Project SagaMORE has been named the 2018 Green Building of the Year by the Massachusetts chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Located on EMD Serono's biopharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Billerica, the two-story, 30,000-sf addition offers open-plan work areas, a central auditorium, and numerous meeting spaces to support the development of advanced medical therapies. The $12 million project has jointly achieved WELL Gold certification for New & Existing Construction.

Stanford University is building the Center for Academic Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif. Designed by HOK, the four-story, 170,000-gsf facility will provide consolidated administrative space for clinical faculty, computational researchers, and departmental leadership. The collaborative project will include a conference center, a café, a fitness center, and a three-story, 830-space underground parking structure. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2020. 

Dartmouth College began construction in January of 2019 on a $200 million expansion of its engineering and computer science facilities in Hanover, N.H. Featuring a large central atrium and collaborative design studios, the 160,000-sf building will accommodate the Thayer School of Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, the Magnuson Family Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Dartmouth Electron Microscopy Facility. The interdisciplinary facility will be located on top of a three-story, 340-car underground parking structure.

The University of Colorado is planning to construct a $45 million Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub in Boulder. Built as an addition that will physically connect the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the College of Business, the 75,000-sf project will include 45,000 gsf of new construction and 30,000 gsf of renovated space. The collaborative facility will provide technology-enhanced classrooms for active learning, an auditorium, a library, faculty offices, team rooms, a multipurpose event space, and an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship center.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston opened a $15 million facility for the School of Biomedical Informatics in December of 2018. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the two-story, 44,709-sf project is the first freestanding school of biomedical informatics in the United States and was constructed on top of an existing parking garage.

Merck will break ground in January of 2019 on a $28 million pharmaceutical research and distribution center in Visalia, Calif. The 123,332-sf facility will be located in the Visalia Industrial Park and can be expanded by 160,000 sf to accommodate future growth. The developer for the project is Scannell and completion is expected in late 2019. Merck is based in Darmstadt, Germany.