Research and Development

The University of Illinois at Chicago broke ground in November of 2017 on the Engineering Innovation Building. Housing the departments of chemical engineering, mechanical and industrial engineering, civil engineering, and materials science, the 58,665-gsf (35,335-nsf) facility will provide teaching and research labs, classrooms, student project areas, a high-bay structural research lab, a chemical engineering pilot plant, and offices for faculty and staff.

South Dakota State University is planning a $55 million expansion and renovation of its agricultural science facilities in Brookings. The project includes a $7 million renovation of the existing Berg Agricultural Hall and construction of the $32 million Precision Agriculture Facility. Featuring collaborative teaching and research labs, the new 129,000-sf structure will offer classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and industrial laboratories to support programs in precision agriculture, a modern farming approach that emphasizes efficiency, technology, and sustainability.

Towson University broke ground in December of 2017 on the $184 million New Science Complex in Towson, Md. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 316,000-sf facility will provide 50 teaching labs, 30 research labs, 50 classrooms, 10 student collaboration areas, eight lecture halls, and a vivarium. The project will also include an outdoor classroom, a planetarium, an observatory, a museum, a rain garden, and a rooftop greenhouse. The general contractor is Whiting-Turner.

Carilion Clinic is partnering with Virginia Tech on the construction of a $90 million research and teaching facility in Roanoke. Designed by AECOM, the 139,000-sf Virginia Tech Carilion Biomedical Research Expansion will provide collaborative, technology-rich laboratories and experiential learning areas.

The University of California, San Diego is planning to expand the Jacobs College of Engineering with the construction of Franklin Antonio Hall. Supported by a $30 million philanthropic contribution, the 200,000-sf facility will feature eleven collaboratories for team-based research, a 250-seat teaching auditorium, a high-bay lab, multipurpose classrooms, faculty offices, and flexible meeting rooms. Antonio Hall will be built to attain the LEED Platinum sustainable design certification or an equivalent rating. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2021.

The University of Arkansas dedicated the $17 million Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in November of 2017 in Fayetteville. Designed by WER Architects, the two-story, 54,000-sf facility provides researchers from the Division of Agriculture with multidisciplinary laboratories and greenhouses for the study of plant and animal science. Comprising two wings, the project includes administrative offices for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and meeting rooms to accommodate conferences and workshops.

Oregon State University is planning a $50 million expansion of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Designed by Yost Grube Hall as a model of safe construction in a tsunami inundation zone, the 72,000-sf facility will feature vertical evacuation ramps rising from ground level to the top of the structure. The project will include a three-story teaching and research building adjoining a two-story wing housing an auditorium, an innovation lab, and community space. Construction is expected to begin in spring of 2018 with occupancy in fall of 2019.

The Department of Energy is planning research infrastructure upgrades to multiple user facilities. The U.S. House of Representatives passed three bills in November of 2017 to provide funding for these projects. 

The Research Infrastructure Act directs and authorizes the Secretary of Energy to:

The University of South Australia is constructing the AUD$247 million Health Innovation Building in Adelaide. Located in the Biomed City development, the 310,000-gsf facility will house the Centre for Cancer Biology, the Museum of Discovery, the Innovation and Collaboration Centre, health teaching clinics, a vivarium, and an atrium. Construction began on the 14-story project in 2015 and occupancy is expected in mid-2018.

Washington State University is designing two new research facilities that will be constructed on the Pullman campus. The $40 million Global Animal Health Facility Phase 2 will support the detection and diagnosis of zoonotic diseases and infectious agents such as avian influenza, BSE, foot and mouth disease, West Nile virus, and pandemic flu. The project will also house teaching labs for veterinary medicine.

Saint Vincent College dedicated the $5.8 million James F. Will Engineering and Biomedical Sciences Hall in November of 2017. Designed by MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, the two-story, 11,260-sf facility features the Liberatore Human Anatomy Teaching Laboratory, a technology-rich facility that can accommodate up to six surgical stations in a simulated operating room environment.

The Milwaukee School of Engineering will break ground in mid-2018 on the $34 million Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall in Milwaukee. Supporting programs in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and robotics, the 64,000-sf academic facility will provide classrooms, laboratories, an auditorium, a business incubator, and a data center housing a GPU-accelerated supercomputer. The Diercks Computational Science Hall is being designed by Uihlein/Wilson-Ramlow/Stein Architects.

Davidson College completed the $74 million Interdisciplinary Science Center in November of 2017 in Davidson, N.C. Designed by Shepley Bulfinch, the project included construction of the two-wing, 135,300-sf E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center and the renovation of the adjoining Martin Laboratory. Housing the departments of biology, chemistry, environmental science, psychology, and neuroscience, the facility offers collaborative teaching and research labs, interactive learning environments, faculty offices, and a central atrium with a 120-seat forum.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture broke ground in November of 2017 on a $160 million renovation and expansion of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) in Athens, Ga. The secure facility will provide biocontainment laboratories to support the detection, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases such as pathogenic avian influenza. Completion is expected by 2020. Merrick & Company developed the Program of Requirements (POR) for the project, which could add approximately 100,000 sf to the 60-year-old campus.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center dedicated the $50 million Translational Research Center in November of 2017 in Jackson, Miss. Designed by Flad Architects, the collaborative 124,852-sf building houses the Neuro Institute, the Technology Transfer Office, and the MIND Center, a neurocognitive dementia research facility. Providing both wet and dry laboratories, the center houses business incubator space, conference rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and space for clinical trials.