The decreasing amount of time researchers spend in their labs is changing research facility design and space allocation, with an increased need for lab support space, a more significant reliance on core facilities, the creation of additional write-up and data analysis environments, and the purposeful inclusion of collaboration spaces.
Eli Lilly and Company opened the $700 million Lilly Seaport Innovation Center (LSC) in Boston in August of 2024. Developed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities and National Development, the 346,000-rsf facility offers Class A research environments for biomedical discovery. The 12-story structure also houses the first Lilly Gateway Labs on the East Coast to enable biotech start-ups to collaborate with Lilly scientists.
The Oxford Science Park is expanding in the United Kingdom to provide sophisticated environments for research and discovery. Three new buildings will rise in the innovation district, which is majority owned by Oxford University's Magdalen College. Designed by Scott Brownrigg, The Daubeny Project will offer a total of 450,000 sf of leading-edge life science space supported by enhanced lab infrastructure. Dramatic colonnades on the ground floor will open onto light-filled areas for reception, interaction, and collaboration.
The University of California has selected Flad Architects as executive architect for the UCLA Research Park Master Plan Study, a roadmap for the transformation of the former Westside Pavilion shopping mall in Los Angeles into a nexus for discovery and innovation. Leasable lab and office environments will enable industry, academic, and government partners to benefit from collocation with two multidisciplinary research centers.
BeiGene opened an $800 million center for biologics manufacturing and research in July of 2024 in Hopewell, N.J. Sited on 42 acres at the Princeton West Innovation Campus, the development provides 400,000 sf of dedicated space for commercial-stage production of cancer therapies. A 100,000-sf lab building accommodates clinical R&D suites and collaborative office settings. As BeiGene's U.S. headquarters and flagship manufacturing facility, the highly flexible complex integrates universal design principles to create an adaptable, human-centric environment.
Bristol Myers Squibb is expanding its Moreton campus in the United Kingdom with the construction of a new facility for pharmaceutical discovery and development. Designed by ADP Architecture, the 38,000-sf building will feature state-of-the-art laboratories, flexible office areas, and dynamic collaboration zones. Next-generation analytical suites will accelerate the commercialization of new treatments for diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions.
BXP recently completed a 113,000-rsf innovation hub in Waltham, Mass. Designed by TRIA, 103 CityPoint aims to reshape corporate culture for science and technology tenants, energizing its workforce and accelerating growth. The flexible flour-story structure provides 80 percent laboratory and office space, with 20 percent accommodating a double-height cGMP manufacturing area spanning approximately 25,000 sf.
The Davis Companies and Invesco Real Estate completed construction in June of 2024 on a 215,000-sf research facility in Cambridge. Designed by Jacobs, 101 Smith Place is the third structure in a new life sciences cluster called The Quad and offers 161,616 rsf of Class A lab and office space. Features include:
Merck is expanding its Darmstadt headquarters campus with the construction of a $66 million quality control facility for MilliporeSigma, the company’s life science business. Spanning approximately 105,000 sf, the four-story building will provide GMP labs and cleanrooms for the testing of medicines and biological agents. The flexible structure is designed to enhance operational efficiencies and will bring 135 employees from different departments together in one collaborative location.
WACKER opened the mRNA Competence Center in June of 2024 in Halle an der Saale, Germany. Representing an investment of over €100 million, the next-generation facility enables the large-scale production of active ingredients based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). The building spans a total floor area of 79,653 sf and accommodates four new lines supported by advanced infrastructure, including 17,222 sf of glass-enclosed cleanroom space for bioprocessing under controlled conditions.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center began construction in June of 2024 on the Applied Gene and Cell Therapy Center in Sharonville, Ohio. The $60 million project will transform an existing structure into a catalyst for innovative clinical trials. Designed by BHDP Architecture, the 111,000-sf facility will advance the development, testing, and manufacture of new medicines and biological therapies.
Sanofi opened a 20,000-sf biomanufacturing center in May of 2024 in Toronto. Producing adult and pediatric vaccines for pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus, the project significantly increases capacity to meet growing demand in Canada and around the world. The next-generation facility features advanced bioprocessing suites supported by highly efficient infrastructure. Commissioning is currently under way, with full operations slated to commence in mid-2025.
AstraZeneca is planning to construct a US$1.5 billion facility in Singapore for the manufacture of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). Enabling the creation of precision cancer therapies, the project will integrate every stage of the ADC production process at commercial scale. The sustainably designed building is slated to achieve net-zero operational carbon and will leverage advanced infrastructure to achieve optimal energy performance. Completion is expected in 2029. A site for the greenfield development has yet to be determined.
Merck celebrated the beginning of construction for the $325 million Advanced Research Center in April of 2024. Located on the company's Darmstadt headquarters campus in Germany, the biopharmaceutical innovation facility will accelerate the development of novel processes and materials for the production of antibodies, recombinant proteins, and viral vectors. The flexible structure will also drive advances in pharmaceutical purification, formulation, and analytical chromatography.
The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) has announced the 2024 Facility of the Year Awards category winners. The awards include:
