Energy Use Reduction

Old Dominion University broke ground in April of 2025 on the Biological Sciences Building in Norfolk, Va. Representing the largest capital construction project in the institution's history, the $184 million development will enable students and faculty to explore a wide range of biomedical and ecological fields. Ballinger and VMDO Architects designed the 162,586-sf structure, which will provide flexible research labs for up to 30 investigators, teaching labs, core facilities, classrooms, and a 120-seat lecture hall.

Cornell University celebrated the opening of Atkinson Hall in April of 2025 in Ithaca, N.Y. Designed by Lake|Flato and SWBR as a nexus for impact-driven research across disciplinary boundaries, the $54 million facility addresses the diverse needs of four unique programs, all of which are university-wide in scope.

RAJ Sports broke ground in May of 2025 on a dual-sport performance center for professional women's soccer and basketball in Hillsboro, Ore. Designed by Populous, the $150 million project will create a collaborative setting with premium wellness amenities for the Portland Thorns Football Club and a new WNBA team. Uniquely tailored to the needs of female athletes, the complex will feature an elite training core that integrates leading-edge strength and conditioning modalities with sports science, sports medicine, and advanced recovery therapies.

The University of California, Davis celebrated the opening of a $1.1 billion destination for collaborative discovery in May of 2025 in Sacramento. Spanning 767,000 sf, the first phase of Aggie Square was designed by ZGF Architects as the flagship for a new model of innovation district that strategically collocates academic, industry, and community partners not only in the same building, but in many cases on the same floor.

Iowa State University dedicated the Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building in May of 2025 in Ames. The four-story, 80,660-gsf facility provides a dynamic new home for the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering's teaching, research, and administrative activities. The $70 million project features technically enhanced environments where students can gain the specialized knowledge to design tomorrow’s innovative, safe, and nimble production processes across all industry sectors.

As institutions aim to reduce both operational and embodied carbon emissions, laboratory designers can pursue this goal by specifying low-carbon materials and implementing new energy solutions during design and construction, as well as considering the building’s ongoing maintenance. Operational carbon is the carbon that is emitted to run the building over its lifetime. Embodied carbon is the carbon that is emitted in the extraction, manufacturing, and transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of materials used during the construction of the building. 

Norfolk State University broke ground in April of 2025 on the $118 million New Science Building in Norfolk, Va. Designed by Work Program Architects in partnership with SmithGroup, the 131,376-sf facility will offer future-ready environments for multidisciplinary learning and discovery. Housing the departments of biology, chemistry, and physics, the four-story structure will enable the next generation of scientists to engage in immersive education and develop innovative solutions to real-word problems.

The University of California, Berkeley celebrated the opening of the Grimes Engineering Center in April of 2025. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the $110 million project involved the partial demolition, renovation, and expansion of the Bechtel Engineering Center to create a vibrant destination for student collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Penn Medicine broke ground in April of 2025 on a $270 million multispecialty outpatient center in Montgomery Township, Pa. Designed by Array Architects, the four-story, 162,000-sf facility will provide comprehensive treatment for cancer, including radiation oncology and chemotherapy, as well as heart and vascular conditions, orthopedic care, neurology, and women’s health. The sophisticated structure will offer advanced imaging capabilities, infusion therapy services, and surgical consultations.

The University of Delaware opened a $180 million science and innovation facility in April of 2025 to catalyze interdisciplinary discovery and expand educational capacity. Built on the former site of McKinley Hall in Newark, the 132,500-sf building houses research and teaching labs with damp and dry functionalities, faculty offices and student workspaces, and conference rooms.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison broke ground on the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center in April of 2025. Designed by SmithGroup, Continuum Architects + Planners, and Ring & DuChateau, the $420 million facility will enable the College of Engineering to accommodate 1,000 additional students each year to address growing demand. Standing seven stories above grade with one basement level, the 395,000-gsf structure will offer 211,000 asf of collaborative teaching and research space.

The College of William & Mary opened a $76 million expansion of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in April of 2025 in Gloucester Point, Va. Designed by Baskervill, Chesapeake Bay Hall provides a new home for the Institute's four academic departments: Aquatic Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, Fisheries Science, and Physical Sciences.

Kaiser Permanente broke ground on the Railyards Medical Center in March of 2025 in Sacramento, Calif. Designed by SmithGroup, the 18-acre greenfield campus will act as a beacon for health and wellness that integrates premier amenities with the latest technologies. An eight-story, 662,000-sf hospital will anchor the complex and offer 310 beds, with 48 for intensive care. The structure will also provide 14 operating rooms, 70 emergency treatment bays, and a 38-bed birthing center with an eight-bed neonatal intensive care unit. 

Dublin City University opened the €80 million ($90.9 million) Polaris building in April of 2025 in Ireland. The five-story learning hub was designed by Sheppard Robson and Mullarkey Pederson Architects to drive excellence and innovation in STEM education and research.

Bruntwood SciTech opened Citylabs 4.0 in March of 2025 in Manchester in the United Kingdom. Created in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), the £42 million ($55.3 million) facility promises to catalyze breakthroughs in precision medicine, healthcare, and the life sciences. The development’s strategic colocation with MFT in the city’s biomedical cluster enables direct access to joint clinical trials, diagnostic collaborations, and advanced resources to accelerate the discovery and implementation of healthcare innovations.