Energy Use Reduction

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.

Mayo Clinic celebrated the opening of the Diagnostic Imaging and Sports Medicine Center in September of 2024. Accommodating a multi-speciality team of physicians, the 20,700-sf facility is strategically located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a new $122 million field house and event center called The Sonnentag. Examination and physical therapy rooms are collocated with sophisticated instrumentation suites to enhance the performance of student athletes and active adults.

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.

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.

The University of California is planning to construct the UCSF Life Sciences Building as part of a major redevelopment of the former Dogpatch Power Station in San Francisco. The transformative facility will bring research, innovation, primary and specialty care clinics, and world-class cancer treatment to a new waterfront destination. Standing eight stories above ground, the structure will include two basement levels for a state-of-the-art proton therapy center that will begin operations in 2029.

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.

Siteman Cancer Center celebrated the opening of a new world-class destination for cancer care in St. Louis in September of 2024. Created in partnership between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, the 657,250-sf facility enables an innovative model of care that allows a patient to interact with a multidisciplinary team on a single visit. This approach prioritizes patients’ comfort and convenience, while reducing the need for additional appointments.

Carnegie Mellon University opened the $105 million Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics in fall of 2024. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the renovated and expanded facility embodies a new paradigm for holistic student health on the Pittsburg campus. The four-story, 154,000-sf development features a modern athletics facility for practice, performance, training, and athlete care, complemented by full-service clinical areas for University Health Services.

Appalachian State University is constructing the $61.5 million STEM Academic Building in Boone, N.C. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent, the 50,000-sf facility will feature sophisticated venues for environmental science education. Flexible classrooms with built-in dividers will accommodate a range of programs, complemented by a full suite of biology labs. Supporting K-12 educational partnerships, the public-facing project will foster a greater understanding of the natural and cultural history of the Southern Appalachian region.

Teaching-only lab buildings are so much more than simplified versions of the latest shiny new research building on campus. They serve as a hub for students, a point of pride on tours for prospective students, and an opportunity to showcase a college or university’s identity. But they do require special design considerations, especially around safety.

The U.S. Department of Energy broke ground in September of 2024 on the Energy Materials and Processing at Scale (EMAPS) facility in Golden, Colorado. Located on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's South Table Mountain Campus, the $224 million development will create a direct path from bench-scale materials and process innovations to pilot-scale integration and production.