Cornell Tech opened the first phase of its Roosevelt Island campus in New York in September of 2017. Representing a partnership between Cornell University and Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, the project includes:
The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center at Fort Detrick was awarded full funding by the U.S. House of Representatives in September of 2017. Although the Department of Homeland Security had previously intended to close the facility, the recent appropriations bill has restored the laboratory’s entire $60 million budget, enabling the 160,000-sf center to continue its research on infectious diseases and pathogens. The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center provides BSL-4, BSL-3, and BSL-2 laboratories.
Monash University is constructing the Biomedical Learning and Teaching Building in Victoria. Designed by Denton Corker Marshall, the $81 million facility will feature four flexible labs that can be configured and conjoined to accommodate 60, 120, or 240 students. Supporting programs in microbiology, anatomy, biochemistry, immunology, and physiology, the 123,700-sf building will provide Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) labs, technology-rich dissection labs, breakout spaces, and a 12,900-sf informal learning hub.
The Abbey Group is planning to construct Exchange South End, a 1.6 million-sf bioscience research campus located on the site of the Boston Flower Exchange. Designed by Stantec, the mixed-use development will provide approximately 841,000 sf of research space and 640,000 of office space. Arranged around a 30,000-sf public park, the four-building project will include:
Michigan State University opened the $88.1 million Grand Rapids Research Center in September of 2017. The six-story, 162,800-sf project provides the College of Human Medicine with open laboratories to support up to 44 biomedical research teams. Designed and engineered by SmithGroupJJR with Ellenzweig as laboratory design consultant, the vibration-mitigated facility features core labs for flow cytometry, bioinformatics, and microscopy.
The University of Maryland completed construction of the $169 million A. James Clark Hall in September of 2017 in College Park. Designed by Ballinger, the collaborative 184,000-sf facility houses the Department of Bioengineering and the Institute for Biomedical Devices. The multidisciplinary building offers flex classrooms, a vivarium, an atrium, flexible wet and dry labs, a high-bay innovation lab, and space for programs in biology, information technology, and mechanical engineering.
Murray State University opened the $37 million Engineering Physics Building in August of 2017 in Murray, Ky. Designed by Hastings+Chivetta with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 72,500-sf undergraduate science facility features collaborative teaching and research labs for biology, chemistry, engineering, electronics, astronomy, and materials science.
Banner Engineering, a leading provider of technology for industrial automation, broke ground in August of 2017 on a 50,000-sf research and development building at the company’s global headquarters in Minneapolis. Designed by HCM Architects to support the creation of smart sensors, the addition will provide labs, training spaces, and offices to accommodate over 225 new employees. Kraus Anderson Construction Company is the general contractor for the project, which is slated for completion in summer of 2018.
Boston University opened the $140 million Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering (CILSE) in September of 2017. Designed by Payette, the nine-story, 170,000-sf facility houses the Center for Systems Neuroscience, the Biological Design Center, the Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, and the Center for Sensory Communication and Neuroengineering Technology. The interdisciplinary building features a human Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) suite, a Siemens 3 Tesla MRI, and space for behavioral testing and computational research.
SAB Biotherapeutics began construction in August of 2017 on an agricultural production facility for antibody therapeutics. The 80-acre ‘pharm’ will accommodate transgenic cattle which produce plasma in reaction to a vaccine, providing a source of natural human polyclonal antibodies. The facility is located adjacent to SAB’s existing corporate headquarters and is slated for completion in spring of 2018.
Concordia College opened the $45 million Integrated Science Center in late August of 2017 in Moorhead, Minn. Designed by Foss Architecture and EYP Architecture and Engineering, the 130,200-sf project included the renovation of the existing Ivers and Jones Science Center and construction of a three-story, 58,000-sf atrium. Designed to support interactive, collaborative learning, the interdisciplinary facility provides 19 teaching labs and 16 classrooms, including T-search labs for integrated instructional and research activities.
Binghamton University opened the $70 million Smart Energy Building in late August of 2017 in Vestal, N.Y. Located in the Innovative Technologies Complex, the two-story, 114,000-sf project accommodates research and development programs for the departments of chemistry and physics. Supporting the creation of advanced clean energy solutions, the collaborative facility provides laboratories, classrooms, 45 faculty offices, and a total of 125 fume hoods.
Nasa Ames Research Center broke ground in August of 2017 on the $40 million Biosciences Collaboration Facility at Moffett Field in northern California. The two-story, 40,000-sf facility will provide 19,000 sf of BSL-2 wet labs and support and 21,000 sf of office and conference space. Designed for ease of reconfiguration, the project will include interdisciplinary research areas, procedure rooms, a radiation lab, environmental rooms, and a tissue culture suite.
There are positive signs that funding for scientific research will not only be maintained, but will once again increase. Earlier this month, the Senate Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved $36.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health for the upcoming fiscal year. If approved intact, it will mark the third consecutive year that the NIH receives a $2 billion increase. The House Appropriations Committee already approved a $1.1 billion increase.
Rhodes College dedicated the $34 million Robertson Hall in late August of 2017. Designed by Hanbury to support an interactive, experiential pedagogy, the 55,000-sf science facility houses six teaching labs, five research labs, two classrooms, faculty offices, and collaborative study areas. The sustainably designed building features automated LED lighting, sophisticated building systems, and areas with floor-to-ceiling glazing.
