Pharmaceutical

Procter & Gamble (P&G) opened the Singapore Innovation Center in April of 2014. The facility features 250 laboratories housing approximately 500 investigators engaged in materials science, engineering, and biomedical R&D. The project includes a pilot manufacturing plant to support accelerated product development and a 3D printing suite for the creation of packaging. The LEED Silver facility is a zero-waste site and has attained Green Mark sustainable design certification.

Grifols’ North Fractionation Facility in Clayton, N.C., has been named the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) 2014 Facility of the Year for Project Execution. Fluor provided integrated engineering, procurement, construction management, and front-end qualification for this 150,000-sf blood plasma fractionation facility, which was built using modular construction techniques to meet an aggressive construction schedule, incorporate new centrifuge technology, and expand existing plant utilities.

Charles River Laboratories opened a 58,000-sf animal research facility in April of 2014 in Spencerville, Ohio. The building provides vivarium space and labs for preclinical research on pharmaceutical compounds, medical devices, and chemicals. Construction on the facility began in 2007 and was halted in 2009, with recommencement of building work in October of 2013.

TNO Triskelion opened a BSL-3 vaccine testing laboratory in March of 2014 in Zeist. The facility will enable the contract research organization to develop drugs to combat viruses including avian influenza, SARS, and tuberculosis. The biocontainment lab conforms to GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) standards and is able to test treatments against all subtypes of influenza, whether avian or human.

The University of Connecticut began construction in June of 2015 on the 119,000-sf Innovation Partnership Building in Storrs. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the $170 million project will provide flexible laboratories to support collaborative R&D with industry partners in advanced manufacturing, materials science, cyber infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.

Aesica Pharmaceuticals opened the $50 million High Capacity Manufacturing Facility in Queenborough in the United Kingdom in February of 2014. Designed and built by Scitech, the project will produce one billion tablets a year at current capacity. A second phase of expansion will enable the plant to manufacture 2.5 billion tablets annually. The building features two 59-foot spray granulators and a 925-gallon MatCon IBC (intermediate bulk container). Kirk Saunders was the civil and structural engineer for the project.

Emory University’s 200,000-sf Health Sciences Research Building (HSRB) provides both wet and dry labs and BSL-2 and BSL-3 containment to pursue research in drug discovery, immunology and vaccines, neurosciences, cancer, gastroenterology, transplant immunology, nephrology, biomedical engineering, and human genetics.

Baxter Healthcare is building a $1 billion biopharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Covington, Ga. Located in the Stanton Springs development, the 1 million-sf complex will provide laboratories, manufacturing space, testing suites, and warehouse and distribution facilities to support the production of advance plasma-based therapeutics. Construction manager Fluor broke ground on the project in August of 2012 and completion is expected in 2016. Commercial production of biologics will commence in 2018 at the campus, which will accommodate 1,500 employees.

Merck began building a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Reinbek, Germany, in December of 2013. The $55 million project will provide laboratories and cleanrooms for the production of asthma and allergy diagnosis and treatment solutions. The two-story, 65,000-sf facility will support Merck’s business objective to supply emerging markets including China. Completion is expected in 2016.

The University of Texas at Tyler will begin construction in spring of 2014 on the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy. The design team for the 60,000-sf facility includes SmithGroup JJR and Eubanks Harris Roberts Craig Architects. The project is funded in part by a $22 million donation. The University of Texas at Tyler is also planning to begin construction in 2014 on a $4 million addition to the Fine and Performing Arts Center as well as a new alumni house.

Washington State University dedicated the $78.6 million Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences Building in December of 2013. Designed by NBBJ to foster interaction and collaboration, the 125,000-gsf facility provides open research and teaching labs, flexible classrooms, a 150-seat auditorium, and administrative and faculty offices. Located on the Riverpoint campus in Spokane, the building houses the College of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences and represents the first phase of a planned research complex.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals broke ground on a 300,000-sf R&D facility in late October of 2013 in Westchester County, N.Y. The build-to-suit project is being developed by BioMed Realty Trust and is located at the 116-acre Landmark at Eastview campus. Upon completion in late 2015, the drug discovery lab facility will be leased by Regeneron for 15 years.

Merck will begin building a $108 million pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in China in 2014. Located in the BioSpark development in Nantong, the 430,560-sf building will meet stringent international quality standards for the production of therapeutics. The highly efficient facility will be designed to minimize waste during the manufacturing process. Completion is expected in 2016 with commercial operations commencing in 2017.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy will begin construction in spring of 2014 on a $50 million teaching and research building. The six-story, 213,000-sf facility will house classrooms, study areas, a library, an auditorium, and 30,000 sf of research space. The project team includes architect Cannon Design and construction manager Paric Corp. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2015. 

Bayer HealthCare opened its new headquarters in Hanover Township, N.J., in October of 2013. The two-building, 700,000-sf office project consolidates operations from four separate locations and will accommodate 2,400 employees. The headquarters was constructed by transforming two obsolete structures into a spacious and sustainable facility featuring a five-story glass atrium.