Industry News

The University of Chicago opened the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library in May of 2011. The facility features an underground storage area with robotic retrieval for 3.5 million volumes. The Mansueto Libray was designed by Helmut Jahn and includes an 8,000-sf reading room under a dome constructed from 700 panels of glass. Construction on the facility began in fall of 2008.

The J. Craig Venter Institute broke ground in April of 2011 on a genomics research lab in La Jolla, Calif. The carbon neutral facility will house 125 scientists and staff.

The Czech Republic is planning to break ground in 2011 on the Beamlines Facility in Dolní Brežany. The $424.6 million laser research center will be part of the European Commission's Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) project. Designed by BFLS, the project will include a laser research lab located in an immense concrete block, administrative offices, conference rooms, and a restaurant. Completion is expected in 2015.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory will begin construction in mid-2011 on the $10 million Maximum Energy Efficiency Research Lab in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The 16,600-sf project will support research on advanced building systems and materials. The project team includes architect Cannon Design, civil engineer Fulghum MacIndoe & Associates, and construction manager McCarthy Building Companies. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility. Completion is expected in June of 2012.

Scripps Health broke ground in May of 2011 on the $456 million Scripps Cardiovascular Institute in La Jolla, Calif. The 383,000-sf, eight-story hospital will provide 108 private patient rooms, 60 ICU beds, six surgical suites, catheterization labs, and cardiovascular research labs.