Merck began construction in January of 2019 on a $300 million pharmaceutical formulation and process development facility in Rahway, N.J. Designed for maximum flexibility, the Formulation Laboratory Experimental (FLEx) Center will feature modular cleanrooms and cGMP manufacturing suites to support multiple modalities including large and small molecule, sterile, and oral solid-dosage products.
Cranfield University began construction in January of 2019 on the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) in Cranfield in the United Kingdom. Designed by Burrell Foley Fischer, the £65 million project will provide technology-rich laboratory spaces adjoining a live aerodrome with a hangar, a 737-400 aircraft, an intelligent movement area, and a remote air traffic control center with next-generation radar systems.
Brammer Bio is developing two gene therapy manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts. The company will build out 35,000 sf in an existing 50,000-sf structure in Lexington to create a cGMP manufacturing and quality control operations center. Additionally, Brammer will renovate 8,000 sf in its 66,000-sf commercial cGMP plant in Cambridge to create new production suites to support manufacturing capacity expansion. DPS Group is providing architectural and engineering services for both projects, which are slated for completion in mid-2019.
Eastern Michigan University opened the renovated and expanded Strong Hall in Ypsilanti in January of 2019. Designed by Stantec, the $40 million project creates flexible teaching and research labs, classrooms, and lecture halls for STEM education including programs in geology, geography, physics, and astronomy. Featuring internal glass walls to put science on display, the 80,700-sf facility provides an atrium, a 200-seat auditorium, a maker space, a machine shop, a laser lab, faculty offices, conference rooms, and huddle spaces.
The University of Cambridge broke ground in January of 2019 on a £300 million expansion of the Cavendish Laboratory in the United Kingdom. The project includes construction of the 355,000-sf Ray Dolby Centre to provide the department of physics with additional laboratories, cleanrooms, lecture halls, offices, and workshops. A basement level with advanced vibration and EMI mitigation technologies will accommodate sensitive instrumentation.
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.
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.
