Industry News

Memorial University is planning to build the CAD$30 million Animal Resource Centre in St. Johns. Replacing two existing buildings, the 30,000-sf facility will support medical research in a variety of areas, including cancer, diabetes, mental health, obesity, stroke mechanisms, and osteoporosis. The project will include vivarium space for animal housing and is supported by CAD$14.4 million in federal funding.

James Cook University is planning to build the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM) on the Cairns campus in Smithfield, Queensland. Designed by Jackson Architecture and Fisher & Buttrose Architects, the AUD$24.5 million facility will include a Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) laboratory to accommodate research on virology, viral diseases, and vector control. The project will be constructed by Hutchinson Builders and completion is expected in late 2017.

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) officially broke ground in August of 2016 on a $75 million mouse production facility in Ellsworth, Maine. The project involves the renovation and expansion of an existing 143,000-sf building to create an advanced 208,000-sf vivarium for the breeding and housing of genetic research mice. The facility will utilize robotic cage management technologies, eliminating the need for employees wearing personal protective equipment to work within containment areas. Window glove boxes will enable researchers to access the specimens.

AstraZeneca is building the £750 million Global R&D Centre and Corporate Headquarters on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the United Kingdom. Providing advanced facilities for pharmaceutical discovery and development, the 580,000-sf project will include space for biologics research, high throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, pre-clinical research, and clinical studies. Designed to optimize interaction and connectivity, the collaborative 11-acre campus will accommodate approximately 2,000 employees and will include an on-site energy center.

Memorial University is planning to build the $325 million Core Science Facility in St. John's, Newfoundland. Designed by HOK Canada and Hearn/Fougere Architecture to promote integration and collaboration, the multidisciplinary project will include three tower blocks connected by two vertical atria spaces. The 480,000-gsf facility will provide 156,000 sf of research labs and 98,000 sf of teaching labs for the departments of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and electrical and computer engineering.