Research and Development

The University of New Mexico opened the $35 million Lobo Rainforest building in August of 2017 in Albuquerque. Designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini as a living laboratory for entrepreneurial education, the six-story, 160,000-sf facility offers accommodation for 300 students, classrooms, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, videoconferencing suites, and business incubators. Representing the first phase of the Innovate ABQ research district, the building will accommodate programs for the UNM Innovation Academy, as well as

Emerson, a leading provider of heating and cooling solutions, will break ground in July of 2017 on a major renovation and expansion of its campus in Sidney, Ohio. Representing an investment of $100 million over the next four years, the project includes the addition of a two-story office structure onto the existing one million-sf facility, and the conversion of existing space into advanced engineering labs.

The Institute of Cancer Research is planning to build a £70 million facility in Sutton, one of the southernmost boroughs of London. Accommodating multidisciplinary drug discovery research, the 75,000-sf project will house 275 investigators, including cancer biologists, evolutionary scientists, medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, data scientists, and clinicians. Occupancy is expected in mid-2020. 

Auburn University opened the $16.6 million Pharmaceutical Research Building in June of 2017 in Auburn, Ala. Providing laboratories and offices for the Harrison School of Pharmacy, the 37,000-sf facility features collaborative open research spaces that are shared by multiple faculty members. A vivarium is located on the first floor of the building, and the second floor houses the Specialized Pharmaceutical and Experimental Center for Translational Research and Analysis (SPECTRA). The duration of construction was 16 months. 

Replacing the traditional penthouse with a ground-breaking sidehouse, the new Health Sciences Building at Canada’s Carleton University represents the latest step in the evolution of academic science facilities. Along with reflecting today’s emphasis on open labs and interdisciplinary collaboration, the building’s fresh approach to utilities distribution improves overall design, lab efficiency, and adaptability for future fit-outs and changes—all while adhering to a very tight budget and construction schedule.

Mayo Clinic is planning to locate three research centers in a four-story facility on the Destination Medical Center campus in Rochester, Minn. Designed by HOK and RSP Architects, the project will be built, owned, and operated by M.A. Mortenson. The Mayo Clinic will be the anchor tenant in the 89,000-sf building, which will accommodate the Center for Individualized Medicine, the Center for Regenerative Medicine, and the Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery.

Bayer HealthCare opened a $100 million pharmaceutical testing laboratory in July of 2017 in Berkeley, Calif. Featuring a sophisticated HVAC system with robust filtration controls, the three-story facility will support research, development, and quality control operations for the production of Bayer’s hemophilia A treatments. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Mortenson Construction has developed an augmented reality (AR) mobile app to provide a digital representation of the new Computer Science and Engineering building (CSE2) under construction at the University of Washington in Seattle. By pointing a smartphone at the construction site, or at a printout of the site, users can experience an immersive virtual view of the main lobby, workroom, robotics lab, and offices. A preliminary version of the Mortenson AR/VR app is now available for download on iPhone and Android devices.

The University of Minnesota Duluth broke ground in July of 2017 on the $42 million Chemistry and Advanced Material Science Building (CAMS). Designed by BWBR, the 58,000-sf project will house technology-rich chemistry labs and classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, and the Advanced Materials Center, a facility supporting training programs in 3D printing and microelectronics. Faculty offices, student spaces, classrooms, and labs will be collocated on each floor of the building to promote interaction. Completion is expected in summer of 2019.

The University of California, San Diego will begin construction in summer of 2018 on the $608 million Living and Learning Neighborhood at North Torrey Pines in San Diego. The design-build project team includes HKS as lead architect and architect of record, working in collaboration with Clark Construction, associate design firm Safdie Rabines Architects, and landscape architect OJB.

The University of New South Wales will construct the $133 million Science and Engineering Building on its Kensington campus in Sydney. Designed by Grimshaw as an extension of the existing Hilmer Building, the 258,000-sf facility will provide the School of Chemical Engineering and the School of Chemistry with flexible core research labs, interactive instructional spaces, meeting rooms, and offices.

Texas A&M University is building a $46 million STEM education facility in San Antonio. Designed by Stantec to support programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 136,000-sf facility will provide 25 classrooms and 12 laboratories, including teaching labs for biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. The building will house the Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement as well as accommodating the study of microscopy, genetics, metabolism, physiology, and ecology.

Sheffield Hallam University is planning to construct the £14 million Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in the United Kingdom. Designed by HLM Architects as a leading-edge research and development hub for the study of physical activity, the facility will feature a 3D gait analysis and scanning lab; an advanced sports pitch with cameras and tracking technologies; a 25-foot-high indoor lab; a manufacturing workshop; and physiological imaging and measuring suites.

3M Co. is planning to construct a 272,000-sf campus in Austin, Texas. Designed by STG Design and developed by Trammell Crow, the state-of-the-art facility will replace operations currently located in northeast Austin. Sited in the Parmer business park, the project will accommodate approximately 800 employees engaged in R&D, supply chain management, and marketing. Construction will begin on the facility by late 2017 with completion expected by April of 2019. 

Metropolitan State University of Denver opened the $60 million Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building in June of 2017. Featuring collaborative learning spaces, technology-rich labs, and a public-private enterprise center, the 117,000-sf facility will support an interdisciplinary curriculum integrating aerospace science, industrial design, computer science, information technology, and civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering.