Research and Development

The University of Oklahoma is constructing the 70,000-sf Gallogly Hall in Norman. Housing the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, the facility will provide advanced classrooms, teaching and research labs, group meeting areas, a makerspace, a rooftop terrace, and an interaction lounge. Comprising four stories and a basement level, the building will also house the offices of the Diversity and Inclusion program. Ground was broken on the project in April of 2017 and occupancy is expected in September of 2019. 

Micron Technology opened a $200 million semiconductor research and development facility in Boise in August of 2017. The four-story, 100,000-sf building will feature engineering laboratories with sophisticated manufacturing systems for the production of advanced memory chip technologies. Construction began on the project in October of 2015. Micron is also planning to build a three-story, 225,000-sf office facility on its Boise campus.  

Providence College is engaged in a $50 million expansion and renovation of the Albertus Magnus Science Complex in Providence, R.I. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the project includes construction of a three-story, 36,000-gsf addition that will act as a new front entrance, and renovation of 70,000 gsf in three existing buildings accommodating programs in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, engineering, physics, and psychology.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) recently completed the construction and fit-out of their new Life Science Laboratories after receiving a $95 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC)—a quasi-state agency dedicated to growing the state’s life sciences industry. The new interdisciplinary research wing features state-of-the-art equipment and core resources that will be shared across multiple research teams and industry partnerships. While the new core labs were built into a pre-existing shell with an open floorplate and operational MEP, the final design was driven by the cost-intensive equipment list. Since the agency grant designated a specific amount of funding for the equipment, the type of equipment was known but exact model and vendor was not known before many of the other design and programming decisions were made. 

The South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory broke ground in August of 2017 on a $58 million expansion and renovation of its Brookings facility. Located on the campus of South Dakota State University, the project includes 81,000 sf of new construction, including 3,762 sf of BSL-3 space and BSL-2E necropsy space. The existing laboratory space will subsequently be renovated. The project will support diagnostic testing and vaccine development for the prevention of infectious diseases. Completion is expected in 2020.

The University of Arizona is constructing the $107.5 million Bioscience Research Laboratories (BSRL) building in Tucson. Supporting collaborative translational research on the molecular basis of human health, aging, and disease, the four-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide wet labs, imaging suites, a genomics core, and space for informatics.

NASA opened the 118,000-sf Human Health and Performance Laboratory in late July of 2017 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Designed by HDR to consolidate and replace several existing facilities, the biomedical research building provides 250 open workstations, 44 offices, 17 labs, and a variety of meeting and conference rooms. The flexible three-story project was designed to be easily reconfigurable to accommodate programmatic changes.

Colorado State University opened the $70 million Biology Building in August of 2017 in Fort Collins. Designed by Hord Coplan Macht to foster interaction and collaboration, the four-story, 155,000-sf facility provides technology-enhanced classrooms, teaching and research labs, a lecture hall, faculty offices, and collaboration spaces. The four-story structure features highly efficient building systems and has attained LEED Gold certification.

The University of Edinburgh is planning to construct the Centre for Tissue Regeneration and Repair in Scotland in the United Kingdom. Designed by Stantec, the four-story interdisciplinary building will provide sophisticated research facilities for the study of stem cells, inflammatory mediators, and niche biology. Accommodating up to 500 researchers, the center will feature a collaborative double-height laboratory zone and space for the development of advanced imaging technologies.

Five years ago, Tradeline sought experts to predict the future—specifically, the future of research lab design and construction. Today, we take a look back at those predictions, and gather some new ones, looking at trends in research programs and funding, and how those trends affect the decisions institutions are making when they build and renovate their laboratory spaces.

BioLegend broke ground in August of 2017 on a $100 million expansion of its Sorrento Mesa campus in San Diego. Designed by Delawie to optimize workflow adjacencies, the project includes renovation of an existing 44,000-sf facility and construction of a four-story, 90,000-sf lab and office building and adjacent parking structure. Featuring flexible open labs to enhance collaboration, the new facility will include an atrium and a 500-person multipurpose room that opens onto a green roof. The central plant will also be expanded.

The University of Chicago is renovating and expanding the Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research. Designed by Perkins Eastman, the project includes construction of a two-story, 25,000-gsf addition and renovation of the existing 38,500-gsf structure. The completed 63,500-gsf facility will provide advanced research laboratories, offices, and collaboration spaces, as well as housing the Department of Physics, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics.

The University of California, Riverside completed a $2 million BSL-3 renovation project in August of 2017. An existing laboratory facility was transformed by BNBuilders into a 1,383-sf life science research suite with an anteroom, gowning room, shower area, procedure rooms, autoclave, and biosafety cabinets. The project will support faculty research programs for the School of Medicine and is supplied by dedicated mechanical systems.

Valparaiso University opened the $30 million Center for the Sciences in August of 2017 in Valparaiso, Ind. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 55,000-sf facility features a collaborative interdisciplinary laboratory as well as labs for chemistry, biochemistry, and biology. The sustainably designed building, which earned a $150,000 rebate through NIPSCO’s Business Energy Efficiency Programs, features LED lighting and a sophisticated HVAC system that employs variable volume air handlers and energy recovery technologies.

Lockheed Martin broke ground in August of 2017 on a $350 satellite production facility in Littleton, Colo. Located on Lockheed’s Waterton Canyon campus, the 266,000-sf Gateway Center will feature a high bay cleanroom, an anechoic chamber, and a thermal vacuum chamber to simulate space conditions. The secure facility will utilize digitally enabled production technologies and is slated for completion in 2020.