Collaboration

Aviva Investors is constructing the 60,000-sf Sidney Sussex Building in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Located at the Chesterford Research Park, the 60,000-sf life sciences facility will provide 10 individual laboratory environments in an inspiring natural setting. Each fully fitted suite will include open office areas and wet lab space equipped with benches, sinks, and fume hoods, supported by a dedicated plant room located on the same level. A floor of shared conference venues will promote collaboration and exchange.

The University of Pennsylvania dedicated Amy Gutmann Hall in September of 2024 in Philadelphia. Providing a centralized home for both undergraduate and research programs in data science and artificial intelligence, the $140 million facility collocates shared resources in order to make data analysis tools more accessible to the entire university community. The 116,000-sf structure was designed by Lake Flato and KSS Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant. 

AstraZeneca officially opened The Hub on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in October of 2024. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, this dynamic amenities center offers inviting settings for collaboration, engagement, and relaxation that are available to both corporate employees and the local community. The facility's 39,460-sf internal floor area accommodates a fitness center, treatment rooms, and areas for health screening and occupational health services. Other features include a nursery and preschool, a café, a bar, a shop, and an inviting garden.

Yale University broke ground in late September of 2024 on the Physical Sciences and Engineering Building (PSEB) in New Haven, Conn. Offering 50 laboratories, the 253,000-sf structure was designed by TenBerke and Ballinger to equip future generations of quantum scientists, engineers, and physicists. Research Facilities Design is the laboratory planning consultant for the six-level project, which will feature sophisticated instrumentation and fabrication environments that drive university-wide collaborations.

Bowie State University opened the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in August of 2024 in Bowie, Md. Designed by Perkins&Will, the $166 million facility will connect students across diverse disciplines in a vibrant hub for exploration and discovery. The 192,000-sf structure will house the departments of communications, history and government, and language, literature, and cultural studies. This new campus destination will also accommodate Bowie State's Military Science (ROTC) programs.

When Wayne State University in Detroit released its campus plan—the Wayne Framework—in 2018, no one could have guessed how prophetic the school’s new approach would turn out to be. Rather than creating a campus plan that sets a specific schedule of chronological tasks and building projects, the Wayne Framework instead focuses on how the school should evaluate priorities on an ongoing basis, allowing the facilities department to remain flexible enough to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Within a few years of launching the Framework, those circumstances would include a global pandemic, catastrophic flooding, and numerous university leadership changes.

The University at Buffalo broke ground on the $111 million Russell L. Agrusa Hall in September of 2024. Accommodating the continued growth of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, this hub of student-centric activity was designed by Page to prepare the STEM workforce of tomorrow to address society's greatest challenges. The state-of-the-art facility will include interactive spaces to support university-wide collaborations, as well as maker spaces, prototyping and fabrication suites, and areas for organizations and clubs.

King Street Properties has announced the substantial completion of the South Building at the Landing, a purpose-built complex for biomedical innovation. Designed by Perkins&Will, the seven-story, 300,000-sf facility offers 46,500-sf floor plates and advanced MEP systems to support a 60/40 lab-to-office ratio. Robust research programs can be accommodated by 15-foot deck-to-deck heights, with expansive 20-foot heights available on the ground floor.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee opened its $118 million chemistry building in September of 2024. Designed by Kahler Slater and CannonDesign, the 163,400-sf facility features technology-rich laboratories that integrate both teaching and research functions in a highly collaborative layout. Offering lecture halls, classrooms, and group study venues, the four-story structure provides numerous interaction areas with integrated whiteboards and a variety of seating options.

Breakthrough Properties is constructing a 225,000-sf life sciences facility in Philadelphia. Designed by KieranTimberlake, the nine-story building will offer best-in-class research environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical tenants. The purpose-built structure will feature open floorplates with highly flexible lab zones that can accommodate a wide range of programs.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst held a ceremonial groundbreaking in September of 2024 for the School of Public Health & Health Sciences Hub. Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the $43 million facility will collocate six departments previously dispersed in seven campus locations. Flexible classrooms for team-based learning will promote student engagement, complemented by sophisticated seminar rooms, collaboration spaces, and an outdoor event venue.

The University of Arkansas is constructing the $43 million Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation in Fayetteville. Designed by Grafton Architects  and Modus Studio, the 44,763-sf project will enable the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design to accelerate the creation of innovative timber construction modalities.

The idea of a workplace means something very different today than it did five years ago. Even before the pandemic, offices were not at full capacity. While occupancy rates have rebounded from their low point in 2020, commercial building spaces are now being used only about 30% of the time. That reality creates an opportunity to rethink what the remaining office space looks like. Employees want a reason to leave the comfort of their homes and endure the commute to the office. They are looking for purposeful presence.

The University of Tennessee broke ground in September of 2024 on an expansion of the Haslam College of Business in Knoxville. Designed by McCarty Holsaple McCarty and RAMSA to accommodate record enrollment, the 243,800-sf building will provide 18 classrooms, three research labs, and two 300-seat auditoria. The collaborative facility will serve more than 10,000 students, faculty, staff, and guests weekly. 

Pennsylvania State University celebrated the opening of the Engineering Collaborative Research and Education Building (ECoRE) in University Park in September of 2024. Located on the West Campus, the 290,000-gsf structure features advanced research and teaching labs for programs in aerospace engineering, architectural engineering, acoustics, and civil and environmental engineering. Payette designed the $228 million facility with research programs grouped by theme to enhance interaction and increase the utilization of shared spaces.