Industry News

Sterling Bay completed construction in March of 2023 on a 320,000-sf life sciences center in Chicago. Designed by Gensler to promote collaboration and innovation, the eight-story building provides Class A lab and office environments in the heart of the planned Lincoln Yards mixed-use district. With 33' by 40' column-free bays, the 285,000-rsf project offers flexible floorplates of approximately 42,000 sf supported by two dedicated outdoor air systems.

Wesleyan University is constructing a four-story, 190,000-sf science building in Middletown, Conn. Designed by Payette, the inclusive and accessible facility will provide 39 research and support labs, 10 classrooms, nine teaching labs, a vivarium, and a greenhouse. A central commons will act as a welcoming destination for informal interaction and study, accompanied by a café, an enclosed courtyard, and a landscaped plaza.

Longfellow Real Estate Partners broke ground in February of 2023 on Avia Labs in Millbrae, Calif. Designed by Flad Architects, the 479,000-sf life science facility will provide 315,000 rsf of Class A lab and office space arranged in a 50:50 ratio. The six-story building will also house state-of-the-art conference rooms, a fitness center, and a publicly accessible café. JLL has secured a $310 million construction loan for the project, which will integrate an advanced HVAC system supplying 12 air changes per hour.

Moderna will break ground in mid-2023 on a £150 million complex for the creation of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics in the United Kingdom. Located on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) will comprise two 145,000-sf buildings. The Drug Substance Manufacturing Unit will leverage next-generation automation systems to produce high volumes of vaccine materials, accompanied by an early-stage R&D hub that will support clinical trials.

Pennsylvania State University opened the $88.2 million Engineering Design and Innovation Building in February of 2023. Designed by Payette and Lamar Johnson Collaborative, the 105,000-gsf facility provides maker spaces, teaching and research labs, two active learning venues, general-purpose classrooms, and faculty and departmental offices. The four-story structure offers multiuse design studios, machine shops, and prototyping and fabrication suites, as well as housing the Factory for Advanced Manufacturing Education Lab and the Bernhard M.