Industry News

Novartis is initiating a 550,000-sf expansion of its campus in Cambridge, Mass. The project includes construction of two biomedical laboratory and office buildings. The architectural team for the master plan and for one building is Maya Lin Studio and Bialosky + Partners.  Toshiko Mori Architect is the designer of the second building. Cannon Design is the architect of record. Skanska USA Building will provide preconstruction, construction management, and design-build services.

A $94 million renovation of the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will begin in early 2012. Located in Princeton, N.J., the project will upgrade the National Spherical Torus Experiment test facility to support the development of nuclear fusion energy technologies. The duration of construction will be 30 months with completion expected in 2014. 

Hamilton Storage Technologies is building a 51,000-sf manufacturing center in Franklin, Mass. The $16 million facility will support production of sample retrieval and handling systems for life science research buildings. Completion is expected in late 2012. 

The Strategy for UK Life Sciences was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in December of 2012. The measures include $116 million for construction of a planned bioinformatics hub near Cambridge and $77 million for a Cell Therapy Technology and Innovation Centre in London. The initiative also provides $480 million to promote commercialization of biomedical research discoveries through collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is building a $127 million replacement facility in Montreal. Located on the Glen campus of the McGill University Health Centre, the 207,000-sf facility features 24,756 sf of research space, 22 private patient rooms, four operating suites, and a $400,000 surgical skills training lab. The project was designed by André Ibghy Architects. Occupancy is expected by 2015.