Exact Sciences broke ground in August of 2018 on its new corporate headquarters in Madison, Wis. Located in the University Research Park developed by UW Madison, the five-story, 138,000-sf Innovation One facility will be fully leased by Exact Sciences. The $60 million project was designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates and is being built by general contractor Findorff.
Appalachian State University opened the $79 million Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences in August of 2018 in Boone, N.C. Designed by LS3P, the five-story, 203,000-gsf project provides consolidated teaching and research space for the Beaver College of Health Sciences.
Simon Fraser University is constructing the Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering Program (SE3P) building in Surrey, British Columbia. Designed by Revery Architecture with Research Facilities Design as laboratory design consultant, the CAD$116 million fast-track project is being constructed with 330 precast concrete architectural components supplied by Surespan Structures.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will break ground in October of 2018 on a $29 million academic building in Terre Haute, Ind. Featuring a glass-walled atrium to showcase internal activities, the three-story, 60,000-sf facility will provide design studios, collaborative workspaces, faculty research suites, breakout rooms, and six flexible classrooms.
Iowa State University is planning a $28 million expansion of the Gerdin Business Building in Ames. Designed to enhance programmatic visibility, the collaborative 40,000-sf addition will provide classrooms, faculty offices, computer labs, study spaces, and a multipurpose atrium. The original structure was designed by ZGF Architects and completed in 2003. Construction will begin on the project in spring of 2019 with completion expected by 2021.
Memorial University is building the $325 million Core Science Facility in St. John's, Newfoundland. Designed by HOK Architects and Hearn Fougere Architects to promote integration and interaction, the multidisciplinary project comprises three tower blocks offering teaching and research labs, offices, and technology-rich learning environments for the departments of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and electrical and computer engineering.
The University of Birmingham broke ground in August of 2018 on a 136,500-sf facility for the School of Engineering in the United Kingdom. Located on the Edgbaston campus, the building will provide 26,900 sf of dedicated research space for the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN). Designed by Associated Architects to promote innovation through collaboration with industry partners, the facility will include labs, design studios, and meeting spaces arranged around an atrium containing flexible learning environments.
The University of Pennsylvania is building the $75 million Wharton Academic Research Building in Philadelphia. Designed by MGA Partners, the 65,000-gsf project will provide four flours of academic and research space, including flat-floor classrooms, group study areas, laboratories, and shared conference rooms. On the ground level, a new electrical substation and enclosed loading dock will be built to replace existing facilities. Construction began on the project in spring of 2018 and completion is expected in summer of 2020.
Boeing will lease approximately 100,000 sf of research space to house the Aerospace and Autonomy Center in Cambridge, Mass. Part of MIT's Kendall Square Initiative project, the facility will be located on four floors of a 17-story, 400,000-sf building currently under construction at 314 Main Street. Occupancy is expected in late 2020. The $2 billion Kendall Square Initiative includes the development of six sites to provide research space, offices, housing, retail, and academic facilities.
The University of Edinburgh is initiating a £90 million renovation and expansion of the Darwin Laboratory Building to accommodate the School of Biological Sciences. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the project will include construction of two new laboratory buildings totaling 46,300 sf and a 21,500-sf hub providing meeting rooms, offices, and a café.
Valent Biosciences opened the 85,000-sf Biorational Research Center in July of 2018 in Libertyville, Ill. Sited adjacent to the company's existing headquarters, the facility offers 65,000 sf of open lab space designed to foster collaborative research and development. The facility features a state-of-the-art 20,000-sf greenhouse to support the creation of innovative agricultural products and technologies. Valent Biosciences is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Company Health and Crop Sciences.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is planning a $75.4 million renovation and expansion of its engineering complex. Construction will begin in June of 2019 on the demolition and replacement of the Link, a 25,307-gsf structure connecting Scott Engineering Center to Nebraska Hall. Slated for completion in summer of 2022, the new 87,000-gsf facility will accommodate leading-edge research labs and support. A new mechanical tower will also be constructed.
Rice University will break ground in August of 2018 on the $38 million Kraft Hall for Social Sciences in Houston. Designed by Rogers Partners, the four-story, 73,000-sf facility will provide classrooms, labs, student lounges, faculty offices, seminar and conference rooms, and a multipurpose venue able to accommodate 300 people. Kraft Hall will house the Texas Policy Lab, the Houston Education Research Consortium, the Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
Purdue University Northwest broke ground in August of 2018 on the $40.5 million Bioscience Innovation Building in Hammond, Ind. Designed by CannonDesign to house the departments of nursing and biological sciences, the 68,000-sf facility will provide sophisticated teaching and research labs, collaborative classrooms, clinical simulation suites, student interaction areas, and faculty offices.
Purdue University’s new 178,000-sf Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC) contains seven different types of classrooms that are so integrated into the Library of Engineering and Science that “at times, you almost can’t tell the difference between them,” says Nanette Andersson, director of library facilities. The design was borne of years of study into the effectiveness of active learning and the kinds of spaces that best support it. The result is a facility that is utilized nearly 24 hours a day.
