Collaboration

The University of Edinburgh is planning to construct the Centre for Tissue Regeneration and Repair in Scotland in the United Kingdom. Designed by Stantec, the four-story interdisciplinary building will provide sophisticated research facilities for the study of stem cells, inflammatory mediators, and niche biology. Accommodating up to 500 researchers, the center will feature a collaborative double-height laboratory zone and space for the development of advanced imaging technologies.

Five years ago, Tradeline sought experts to predict the future—specifically, the future of research lab design and construction. Today, we take a look back at those predictions, and gather some new ones, looking at trends in research programs and funding, and how those trends affect the decisions institutions are making when they build and renovate their laboratory spaces.

BioLegend broke ground in August of 2017 on a $100 million expansion of its Sorrento Mesa campus in San Diego. Designed by Delawie to optimize workflow adjacencies, the project includes renovation of an existing 44,000-sf facility and construction of a four-story, 90,000-sf lab and office building and adjacent parking structure. Featuring flexible open labs to enhance collaboration, the new facility will include an atrium and a 500-person multipurpose room that opens onto a green roof. The central plant will also be expanded.

Purdue University opened the $79 million Wilmeth Active Learning Center in August of 2017 in West Lafayette, Ind. Designed by BSA LifeStructures, the 164,000-gsf facility houses 27 collaborative active learning classrooms, the Library of Engineering and Science, the Data Visualization Experience Lab, a large reading room, and dining facilities. F.A. Wilhelm Construction was the general contractor for the project.

Valparaiso University opened the $30 million Center for the Sciences in August of 2017 in Valparaiso, Ind. Supporting STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 55,000-sf facility features a collaborative interdisciplinary laboratory as well as labs for chemistry, biochemistry, and biology. The sustainably designed building, which earned a $150,000 rebate through NIPSCO’s Business Energy Efficiency Programs, features LED lighting and a sophisticated HVAC system that employs variable volume air handlers and energy recovery technologies.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park are partnering to create the $210 million Cole Field House, a leading-edge sports medicine and practice facility in College Park. The first phase of construction, comprising a full-size indoor football field, was completed in August of 2017, enabling the second phase to commence.

The University of New Mexico opened the $35 million Lobo Rainforest building in August of 2017 in Albuquerque. Designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini as a living laboratory for entrepreneurial education, the six-story, 160,000-sf facility offers accommodation for 300 students, classrooms, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, videoconferencing suites, and business incubators. Representing the first phase of the Innovate ABQ research district, the building will accommodate programs for the UNM Innovation Academy, as well as

Emerson, a leading provider of heating and cooling solutions, will break ground in July of 2017 on a major renovation and expansion of its campus in Sidney, Ohio. Representing an investment of $100 million over the next four years, the project includes the addition of a two-story office structure onto the existing one million-sf facility, and the conversion of existing space into advanced engineering labs.

The Institute of Cancer Research is planning to build a £70 million facility in Sutton, one of the southernmost boroughs of London. Accommodating multidisciplinary drug discovery research, the 75,000-sf project will house 275 investigators, including cancer biologists, evolutionary scientists, medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, data scientists, and clinicians. Occupancy is expected in mid-2020. 

Auburn University opened the $16.6 million Pharmaceutical Research Building in June of 2017 in Auburn, Ala. Providing laboratories and offices for the Harrison School of Pharmacy, the 37,000-sf facility features collaborative open research spaces that are shared by multiple faculty members. A vivarium is located on the first floor of the building, and the second floor houses the Specialized Pharmaceutical and Experimental Center for Translational Research and Analysis (SPECTRA). The duration of construction was 16 months. 

Mayo Clinic is planning to locate three research centers in a four-story facility on the Destination Medical Center campus in Rochester, Minn. Designed by HOK and RSP Architects, the project will be built, owned, and operated by M.A. Mortenson. The Mayo Clinic will be the anchor tenant in the 89,000-sf building, which will accommodate the Center for Individualized Medicine, the Center for Regenerative Medicine, and the Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery.

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The University of Minnesota Duluth broke ground in July of 2017 on the $42 million Chemistry and Advanced Material Science Building (CAMS). Designed by BWBR, the 58,000-sf project will house technology-rich chemistry labs and classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, and the Advanced Materials Center, a facility supporting training programs in 3D printing and microelectronics. Faculty offices, student spaces, classrooms, and labs will be collocated on each floor of the building to promote interaction. Completion is expected in summer of 2019.

The University of California, San Diego will begin construction in summer of 2018 on the $608 million Living and Learning Neighborhood at North Torrey Pines in San Diego. The design-build project team includes HKS as lead architect and architect of record, working in collaboration with Clark Construction, associate design firm Safdie Rabines Architects, and landscape architect OJB.

The University of New South Wales will construct the $133 million Science and Engineering Building on its Kensington campus in Sydney. Designed by Grimshaw as an extension of the existing Hilmer Building, the 258,000-sf facility will provide the School of Chemical Engineering and the School of Chemistry with flexible core research labs, interactive instructional spaces, meeting rooms, and offices.