Energy Use Reduction

Merck has selected Alexandria Real Estate Equities to develop a biopharmaceutical R&D facility in South San Francisco, Calif. Construction will begin in early 2017 on the nine-story, 294,000-rsf building, the entirety of which will be leased by Merck. Designed by DGA to accommodate up to 300 scientists engaged in collaborative, multidisciplinary research, the facility will provide laboratories, offices, a 300-seat auditorium, a café, and a fitness center.

The University of Missouri–St. Louis opened the $35 million Science Learning Building in November of 2016. Designed by Christner, the four-story, 75,000-sf facility features 18 technology-rich teaching labs, seven study areas, a café, and a solarium town center connecting to the adjacent science complex. General contractor K&S Associates broke ground on the sustainably designed project in October of 2013.

High-performance buildings are designed with the innovative features and advanced technology necessary to sustain peak operating efficiency, but they frequently fail to live up to their full potential, due to a number of factors: inadequate staffing; a lack of correctly configured technology; and a lack of proper instruction, capabilities, and skill sets of employees. Incorporating a process of building optimization can prevent these shortcomings.

The John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass., unites the programs of chemistry, biology, and medical and dental education in a single facility that is designed to be net-zero in energy usage, meaning it generates at least as much energy as it uses over the course of a year. The two-story, 50,600-sf building is the first of its kind in the Northeast.

The State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University opened the final phase of its Biotech Accelerator in September of 2016. Located in Syracuse, N.Y., the 60,000-sf facility was designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative and constructed by Murnane Building Contractors. Providing wet labs, dry labs, and core research space with shared equipment, the project houses the Medical Innovation and Novel Discovery (MIND) Center and the Molecular Pathology Next Generation Sequencing Lab.

Arizona State University broke ground in October of 2016 on the $120 million Biodesign Institute Building C in Tempe. Designed by ZGF (Zimmer Gunsul Frasca) and BWS Architects to promote interaction, the 188,000-gsf project will accommodate up to 80 principal investigators arranged in collaborative neighborhoods over five floors and a basement level. The multidisciplinary research building will house a compact X-ray laser facility, wet labs, high bay spaces, and offices.

Oklahoma State University broke ground in October of 2016 on the $35 million Undergraduate Engineering and Technology Laboratory Building in Stillwater. Supporting a progressive pedagogy for interactive education, the 70,000-sf facility will provide 14 undergraduate research labs, a lecture hall, and flexible student project space. Chemical, biomedical, and environmental science labs will feature configurable pilot plants for hands-on instruction in manufacturing and bioprocessing.

The University of Kentucky dedicated the $112 million Jacobs Science Building in October of 2016. Designed by Payette and JRA Architects, the flexible 240,000-sf facility features technology-enabled active learning (TEAL) classrooms, collaborative teaching labs, advanced instrumentation suites, lecture halls, and outdoor classrooms. The sustainably designed project was built by Messer Construction. 

Because it’s expensive to heat and cool outdoor air drawn into a building, workspaces tend to be ventilated only enough to meet ASHRAE minimums or achieve a LEED credit. But air quality profoundly affects workers’ cognitive performance, and even modest increases in ventilation can yield productivity and health benefits that far exceed the cost, says Joseph Allen, assistant professor and director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Clark College opened its $40 million STEM building in October of 2016 in Vancouver, Wash. Designed by LSW Architects to support programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the three-story, 70,000-sf project provides classrooms, teaching labs, and offices for the departments of biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and engineering.

Karolinska University Hospital has awarded Skanska the $140 million contract to construct a 312,000-sf medical building in Huddinge, Sweden. The project will include eight interventional services rooms, 21 exam rooms with integrated imaging technologies, 23 surgical suites, and a sterilization center. The sustainably designed facility is expected to attain Gold certification from the Sweden Green Building Council. Construction began in June 2016 and completion is slated for 2019.

Merck KGaA is planning to construct a $56 million pharmaceutical packaging plant on the campus of its headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. Designed as a packaging center of excellence, the flexible 161,460-sf facility will optimize energy savings through the use of advanced production technologies. Completion is expected in late 2017 with full operations commencing in mid-2018. The project will be constructed to meet the most stringent international Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.

Nova Southeastern University opened the $100 million Center for Collaborative Research in September of 2016 in Davie, Fla. Designed by ACAI Associates, the six-story, 215,000-sf facility features wet and dry laboratories, a high-performance computing environment, the AutoNation Institute for Breast and Solid Tumor Cancer Research, the NSU Cell Therapy Institute, and the Institute for Natural and Ocean Sciences Research.

The University of Texas at El Paso is planning to break ground in early 2017 on the $85 million Interdisciplinary Research Building. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 150,000-gsf project will feature collaborative research labs, a vivarium, imaging suites, core labs, a visualization suite, conference rooms, an atrium, an auditorium, and academic and administrative offices.

Weber State University opened the $60 million Tracy Hall Science Center in August of 2016 in Ogden, Utah. Designed by VCBO Architects of Salt Lake City, the four-story, 175,000-sf facility offers advanced labs and classrooms as well as housing all eight departments of the College of Science.