Manufacturing

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is planning to establish a biomedical research facility in Suffern, N.Y. The company recently invested $39 million to acquire the 235,000-sf Avon Innovation Center. Sited on 10 acres, the three-story structure originally housed chemistry labs and support spaces for the development of cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare products. HLW designed the facility, which was constructed between 2003 and 2005 by Skanska USA Building.

AstraZeneca is investing $300 million to establish a cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville, Md. Developed by Alexandria Real Estate Equites, the Class A+ property is located in the vibrant innovation ecosystem of the Alexandria Center for Life Science at Shady Grove. AstraZeneca has executed a 13-year lease for the entire 84,264-rsf building.

The University of Texas at El Paso is constructing the $80 million Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center to provide the College of Engineering with leading-edge environments for research, teaching, and innovation. The four-story, 93,000-gsf facility will feature hands-on learning venues where students can gain the crucial skills needed by local employers such as NASA and Blue Origin. Offering research labs, fabrication suites, high bay spaces, and administrative offices, the highly flexible structure will initially house the Aerospace Center and the W.M.

Global pharmaceutical firm XBiotech will break ground in early 2024 on an expansion of its Austin campus. Designed by MOD Architecture, the 46,000-sf R&D center will catalyze the discovery and development of innovative biomedical therapies, as well as accelerating the commercialization of the company’s Natrunix rheumatology treatment. Wet laboratories for infectious disease research will foster the creation of new vaccines and medications to address emerging health challenges.  

The University of Virginia broke ground on the $350 million Paul and Diane Manning Institute for Biotechnology in December of 2023. Located in the Fontaine Research Park in Charlottesville, the 350,000-sf project will drive innovation in the fields of cellular therapy, gene therapy, nanotechnology, and drug delivery. By collocating state-of-the-art labs and core facilities with advanced manufacturing suites and clinical environments, the four-story building will accelerate the translation of medical discoveries into new solutions for patient care.

Piedmont Virginia Community College is constructing the $28 million Woodrow W. Bolick Advanced Technology + Student Success Center in Charlottesville. Designed by VMDO, the 46,537-sf facility will feature state-of-the-art labs and learning venues for programs in advanced manufacturing, robotics, forensics, and cybersecurity.

Arizona State University broke ground in December of 2023 on Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 (ISTB12). Located on the Polytechnic campus in Mesa, the $185 million project will provide the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering with a centralized home for the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks.

The University of Sheffield broke ground in November of 2023 on an £80 million aerospace manufacturing research center in the United Kingdom. Catalyzing the aviation industry’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the 29,700-sf Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) building will house the Boeing-led Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) project. This world-class innovation hub will support the development and testing of new technologies to address the demand for lighter commercial aircraft.

The University of Arkansas broke ground in August of 2023 on the $36 million Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility (MUSiC) in Fayetteville. Located in the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, the 18,660-sf building will produce microelectronic chips made with silicon carbide, a powerful semiconductor that outperforms basic silicon in several critical ways.