Industry News

Bristol University opened the £11 million Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information in the United Kingdom in September of 2009. Featuring laboratories with extremely low vibration, acoustic noise, and air movement, the four-story project began construction in October of 2006. The project team included designer Capita Architecture, contractor Willmott Dixon, and project manager Capita Symonds.

The N.C. Biotechnology Center has selected Skanska to manage construction of a $10.4 million addition to its headquarters in Research Triangle Park. Designed by Perkins + Will of Charlotte, the four-story, 20,000-sf expansion will house office and conference space. Construction will begin in October of 2009 and reach completion in fall of 2010. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.

Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, proposed the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Prevention and Preparedness Act in September of 2009. The bill would restructure the Select Agent Program by creating a tiered system to enhance security requirements for more dangerous pathogens and lessen controls on others.

FM:Systems, a provider of integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) and computer-aided facility management (CAFM) software, is partnering with global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle to provide leading-edge occupancy planning solutions to corporate real estate departments. The partnership allows integration of Jones Lang LaSalle’s occupancy planning and space data management services with the products available in FM:Systems’ FM:Interact Workplace Management Suite.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will construct a $36 million clinical addition at the Biloxi VA hospital in Alabama. The four-story, 161,000-sf facility will provide four surgical suites, 20 patient rooms, and seven intensive care rooms. The general contractor for the project is Hoar Construction.