Industry News

Mercer University broke ground in May of 2022 on the 65,000-sf Moye Pharmacy and Health Sciences Center in Atlanta. Located on the Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus in Atlanta, the collaborative facility will feature flexible classrooms that can easily accommodate diverse pedagogies ranging from didactic instruction to active team-based learning.

Growing demand for life sciences research space is driving an increase in office-to-lab conversion projects in the United States. According to a new report from CBRE, office-to-lab conversions in progress in the 12 largest U.S. life sciences markets at the end of 2021 amounted to 9.9 million sf, up 49 percent from the beginning of the year. In comparison, ground-up lab construction rose by 42 percent to nearly 18.8 million sf by the end of 2021.

DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners and Leggat McCall Properties opened a 289,000-sf life sciences facility in Somerville in May of 2022. Designed by SGA and Hashim Sarkis Studios, the nine-story structure provides Class-A lab and office environments supported by robust mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Offering flexible floorplates with column-free spans of 35,000 sf, the sustainable development is targeting LEED Gold and WiredScore Platinum certifications.

Caltech broke ground in May of 2022 on the $100 million Resnick Sustainability Center in Pasadena, Calif. Designed by the Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, the 79,500-sf building will house interdisciplinary laboratories that will be accessible to investigators and innovators from across the Caltech community. The collaborative three-story structure will initially accommodate four research hubs:

George Mason University broke ground in May of 2022 on the $84 million Life Sciences and Engineering Building in Manassas, Va. Located on the Science and Technology Campus in Prince William County, the 133,000-gsf facility will accommodate STEM-H programs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health sciences.