Research and Development

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is building the $82 million Prairie Springs Science Center. Designed by SmithGroupJJR and River Architects, the 187,000-sf facility will provide 36 instructional labs and 23 research labs. The LEED-certified project will create a distinctive new home for the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Geography/Earth Science, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and River Studies, as well as housing the offices of the Dean of the College of Science and Health.

Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute will begin construction in spring of 2018 on a $65 million expansion project in Greer, S.C. Located at Pelham Medical Center, the seven-story, 198,000-sf addition will offer multidisciplinary specialty care as well as accommodating clinical trials. Completion is expected by early 2020.  Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute is part of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

Southwestern University broke ground in February of 2018 on the second phase of a $37 million expansion of the Fondren-Jones Science Center in Georgetown, Texas. The 58,000-sf project includes 20,000 sf of new construction and 38,000 sf of renovated space, providing eight research labs, four classrooms, four teaching labs, three seminar rooms, three computer labs, and 42 offices. Designed to promote inquiry-based learning, the facility will feature an atrium to foster interaction between students from all disciplines and collaborative learning studios on each floor.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories began construction in February of 2018 on three new facilities in Chalk River, Ontario. Representing an investment of over CAD$100 million, the project includes:

The University of New Mexico will begin construction in spring of 2018 on the $65.7 million Physics, Astronomy, and Interdisciplinary Science Center in Albuquerque. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering and Van H. Gilbert, the 139,100-gsf facility will provide a variety of collaborative teaching and research spaces as well as housing the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh are partnering to renovate a former Ford assembly plant and showroom to create the $250 million Immune Transplant and Therapy Center in Bloomfield. Developed in partership with Wexford Science & Technology LLC, the 100-year-old structure will be transformed into an eight-story innovation hub providing labs, offices, and business incubator space.

Marquette University will break ground in March of 2018 on the $24 million Athletic and Human Performance Research Center in Milwaukee. The 46,000-sf facility will include core labs for the study of human performance, interdisciplinary faculty research space, strength and conditioning facilities for the athletics department, and locker rooms and support areas for golf and lacrosse. The project will support collaborative research with healthcare providers and medical industry partners. Occupancy is expected in spring of 2019. 

Bates College is planning to construct a 65,000-gsf science building in Lewiston, Maine. Designed by Payette, the three-story interdisciplinary facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, study areas, and shared instrumentation rooms to support programs in chemistry, biology, and neuroscience. The project is part of a comprehensive reconfiguration of the school's science facilities and is funded in part by a $50 million donation. The general contractor for the building is Consigli Construction. 

The University of Copenhagen opened Maersk Tower in January of 2018 in Denmark. Designed by C.F. Møller Architects, the 460,000-sf project provides leading-edge teaching and research facilities for the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Housing labs, classrooms, offices, auditoria, meeting rooms, and a conference center, the 16-story tower represents an extension of the Panum complex and features a science plaza at the main entrance linking the existing structures with the new tower.

Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) has received final approval from the Boston Public Health Commission to conduct research at Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4).  After years of scrutiny by regulatory agencies and city, state, and federal officials, the $200 million laboratory will now be able to work with approved BSL-4 pathogens such as Ebola and Marburg.

Oregon State University is building the $79.5 million Forest Science Complex in Corvallis. The 85,000-sf project includes construction of the 20,000-sf Advanced Wood Building Products Laboratory, which will feature high bay research space, robotic manufacturing systems, and a strong floor for full-scale product testing. Completion is expected in January of 2020. An academic building supporting programs in forestry, wood science, and renewable materials will also be constructed.

Mercedes Medical, a national distributor of laboratory products, will construct its 54,667-sf headquarters in the Lakewood Ranch development in Bradenton, Fla. The $7.5 million building will provide executive offices, a distribution center, and air-conditioned warehouse space. The project was designed by Flad Architects and Stantec and will be built by Halfacre Construction Company. Completion is expected in fall of 2018.

San Diego State University dedicated the $95 million Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex in January of 2018. Designed by AC Martin Architects to promote interaction and collaboration, the 85,000-sf project provides 11,500 sf of instructional space and 17 multidisciplinary labs with advanced instrumentation. The five-story facility features a nanofabrication suite, a creative design center, and an entrepreneurship hub.

The University of Washington opened the $87.8 million Nanoengineering & Sciences Building in December of 2017 in Seattle. Designed by ZGF, the 90,300-gsf interdisciplinary facility provides advanced research and teaching spaces for the departments of bioengineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and materials sciences. Strategically sited and constructed to minimize vibration, the building is located adjacent to the existing Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute to foster collaboration.

The Boston Society of Architects announced the winners of its 2017 design award in January of 2018.