Increasing demand for BSL-3 and ABSL-3 lab space in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is driving up interest in renovating existing research facilities to accommodate these high-containment spaces. Even a small BSL-3 lab can be a costly undertaking, with special attention required for security of both personnel and biohazards, location in the building, and waste disposal, as well as the design and commissioning of exhaust system.
Texas A&M University is constructing the $49.9 million Nursing Education and Research Building in McAllen. Designed by Page, the three-story, 61,000-sf facility will address a crucial need for skilled healthcare professionals by improving access to learning opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley. The flexible, technology-enabled structure will provide a 10,000-sf clinical simulation center, four nursing classrooms, and areas for informal interaction and study.
Washington University in St. Louis opened the $616 million Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building in January of 2024. Designed by Perkins&Will and CannonDesign, the 608,825-sf facility provides interactive lab neighborhoods where up to 120 teams can engage in collaborative discovery. An 11-story, 584,050-sf research tower is capable of accommodating up to 1,000 investigators from the departments of neurology, neuroscience, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and anesthesiology.
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 Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), is becoming Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research, preparing Canada for emerging health threats by expanding its expertise and infrastructure. This includes opening a new Vaccine Development Centre (VDC) to manufacture vaccines; constructing a new multispecies animal housing facility; enhancing its biosafety containment to the highest level to facilitate research on the most complex pathogens; and using its nearly five decades of success to attract top scientists.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin construction in mid-2024 on the $160 million National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture (NCRRPA) in Lincoln, Neb. Designed by HDR, the transformative development will enable the Agricultural Research Service to explore new solutions for sustainable crop production, water management, and animal husbandry. The first phase will provide 12,000 sf of greenhouse space and 10,000 sf of headhouse space that will physically connect to the existing Greenhouse Innovation Center.
Louisiana State University Health Shreveport celebrated the completion of the $79 million Center for Medical Education in December of 2023. Designed by Perkins&Will and Coleman Partners Architects, the four-story, 155,000-sf facility features a 500-seat auditorium-in-the-round, three 250-seat active learning classrooms, and 27 flexible instructional venues. Simulation suites and clinical skills labs leverage immersive technologies to enhance experiential education and training.
Prince Street Partners is planning a 282,000-sf life science complex in Redwood City, Calif. Designed by Brick, now part of HGA, the project involves the adaptive reuse of an existing 85,000-sf building and the demolition of two other structures. A new five-story, 197,000-sf facility sited atop a two-level garage will be constructed to provide leasable lab and office environments for BSL-1 and BSL-2 research programs.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison opened a 145,000-sf expansion of the School of Veterinary Medicine in November of 2023. Designed by Flad Architects and Foil Wyatt Architects & Planners, the three-story addition connects to the original building at each level, doubling the size of the small animal hospital and tripling the space dedicated to infectious disease research. Laboratories for basic discovery are complemented by ABSL-3, BSL-3, and BSL-2 environments for working with influenza, SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, and more.
The University of Georgia dedicated the $54.1 million Poultry Science Building in Athens in October of 2023. Designed by Flad Architects, the 70,000-sf structure provides leading-edge facilities for programs in avian biology, genetics, nutrition, and product safety. The transformative development provides the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with state-of-the-art classrooms, teaching labs, BSL-2 research labs, demonstration areas, conference rooms, and offices for faculty and staff.
Ancora L&G began construction in August of 2023 on a $195 million life sciences center in Providence that will provide 80,000 sf of world-class research space for the Rhode Island Department of Health. Occupying the entirety of the second and third floors, the new state health lab will feature BSL-3 suites for the detection and mitigation of infectious disease agents and environmental hazards.
Canary Wharf Group and Kadans will break ground in fall of 2023 on One North Quay, a £500 million life sciences center in London. Designed by KPF, the 823,000-sf tower will provide world-class lab and office environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical companies. Constructed to the highest technological standards, the 23-story vertical campus will leverage advanced infrastructure to accommodate the stringent demands of wet-bench chemistry and high-containment research programs.
The Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID) is planning to construct a state-of-the-art translational research facility in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct. The Doherty Institute, the Burnet Institute, and the University of Melbourne are the founding partners for the AUD$650 million project, which will accommodate over 1,000 scientists, academics, professionals, and public health experts engaged in collaborative discovery.
The Ohio State University opened the $237.5 million Pelotonia Research Center in May of 2023 in Columbus. Collocating research programs in life sciences, engineering, data sciences, and environmental health, the 305,000-sf building will accelerate the creation of novel solutions for complex scientific problems. Pelli Clarke & Partners and Moody Nolan designed the five-story structure with integrated laboratory neighborhoods to foster collaboration and discovery.
“Smart labs” and the Internet of Things—with sensors and actuators that gather information about the lab environment and adjust its systems according to that data—have been around for a while. But a new wave of construction is allowing designers to incorporate smart concepts from the ground up, providing sensitive and responsive ventilation and airflow systems to a newly COVID-sensitized lab marketplace. Architects and engineers are working together to create flexible systems that respond in real time to conditions inside a research lab. “In a nutshell, we would like a smart building to operate in correlation with its occupancy and utilization,” says Tom Smith, president and CEO of 3Flow.
