Industry News

The $168 million Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center opened in November of 2012 in Holyoke. Representing a partnership of MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts, the collaborative 90,000-sf data center supports computational research, software development, and the creation of exascale computer technology. Exascale computing systems would be capable of reaching at least one exaflops, representing a thousandfold increase over petascale systems.

Texas Tech is building the $22.8 million Petroleum Engineering and Research Building in Lubbock. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the 40,000-sf facility will provide research laboratories and classrooms for the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, including the unconventional technology center; a fracturing techniques suite; a fluids lab; a reservoir simulation center and drilling lab; a rheology lab; and a pressure volume temperature lab. The building will also house the Apache Upstream Research Center.

The University of North Carolina dedicated the $76 million Energy Production and Infrastructure Center in November of 2012 in Charlotte. Designed by Narmour Wright Creech Architects, the 200,000-sf teaching and research facility houses the departments of Electrical Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering. The collaborative four-story building provides classrooms, offices, laboratories, and high bay space. General contractor Turner Construction broke ground on the project in February of 2010.

Rolls-Royce will break ground in early 2013 on the $136 million Advanced Airfoil Machining Facility at its Crosspointe campus in Petersburg, Va. The 90,000-sf manufacturing plant will produce components for Rolls Royce aircraft engines. Completion is expected in late 2013 with operations commencing in 2014. The Crosspointe campus also houses the 60,000-sf Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and an 180,000-sf aerospace manufacturing facility. 

BASF is building a $64 million research and development facility at its existing campus in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The 46,000-sf laboratory building will support collaborative materials science and chemistry research. The sustainably designed facility will utilize innovative construction materials including high performance foams and engineered flooring surfaces. Occupancy is expected in mid-2015.