Industry News

The University of Maryland will build a world-class teaching and learning center on its College Park campus. The $63 million, 47,900-sf classroom facility is expected to open in 2016.

Fraunhofer USA's Center for Molecular Biotechnology was awarded $1.5 million in September of 2011 by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Fraunhofer will provide the United States government with a sustainable source of reagents for advancing critical research aimed at developing countermeasures to combat potentially devastating biological pathogens. These reagents will also be valuable for surveillance and diagnostic purposes.

Bridgewater State University opened the first phase of the newly expanded and renovated Science and Mathematics Center in September of 2011. Designed by Payette, the five-story, 168,000-sf facility will provide space for the departments of biology, chemistry, earth science, geography, physics, math, and computer science. The project team includes R.G.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare will break ground in October of 2011 on a $137 million hospital in Olive Branch, Miss. The four-story, 100-bed facility will be built to achieve LEED sustainable design certification. The integrated design and construction team for the project includes Gresham, Smith and Partners, Smith Seckman Reid, and Turner Construction. The hospital will implement LEAN and evidence-based design principles to maximize operational effectiveness and patient well-being.

Memphis Bioworks Foundation is planning to build the $15.2 million Memphis Specialized Laboratory. The 26,000-sf facility will help companies obtain U.S. FDA approval for products, enabling rapid commercialization of research discoveries. The facility was designed by Perkins+Will of Houston and Self+Tucker Architects of Memphis with Flintco as general contractor. The duration of construction is estimated to be 14 months plus two months for facility commissioning.