Interdisciplinary Research

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridgeshire University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are planning to construct a £671 million ($910.4 million) children’s hospital in association with the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Designed by Hawkins\Brown and White Arkitekter, the 373,507-sf facility will offer 187 beds in total, with 108 for inpatient use, 16 dedicated to pediatric care, and 42 day-case beds.

The University of California, San Diego opened the $152 million Viterbi Family Vision Research Center in June of 2025 at the Shiley Eye Institute in La Jolla, Calif. The 100,000-sf facility was designed by NBBJ to foster interdisciplinary collaboration with wet and dry laboratories, clinical trial suites, educational facilities, and a vivarium. Supporting leading-edge research, the five-story structure will drive advances in the treatment of ophthalmologic diseases and prepare the next generation of clinician-scientists for the workforce.

The design and planning of medical and health sciences education facilities serve as both the precursor and the wave of the future, with facilities that are not only mixed-use, but truly hybridized and integrated. Formerly siloed programs for nursing, medical, surgical, and pharmaceutical training reap exponential benefits from shared technology, resources, and spaces that enable multiple institutions and stakeholders to offer more robust programs. The hybrid building model mirrors a coevolving approach to healthcare, where teamwork is central, and training with the latest technologies is key. By accommodating the functions of multiple disciplines, forward-thinking institutions can both leverage available space and focus on creating environments for the interpersonal collaboration that underpins the experience of 21st-century health practitioners, as well as that of their patients.

The University of Virginia is constructing the $100 million Karsh Institute of Democracy in Charlottesville to foster the exploration and enhancement of democratic culture, laws, and institutions. Designed by Höweler+Yoon Architecture and Hanbury, this vibrant ecosystem of spaces will bring faculty, students, staff, and public figures together to accelerate the translation of research and scholarship into actionable solutions.

Kansas State University is constructing the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation in Manhattan to advance agricultural science and education. Designed by Clark & Enersen, the $210 million project includes the construction of a 140,000-gsf structure and the renovation of Carl Hall and Weber Hall, creating a vibrant integrated complex. Approximately 30 percent of the space in the new facility will be allocated for collaboration between public and private partners to accelerate the generation of novel solutions to pressing global challenges.

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.

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.

McGill University is nearing the end of a 10-year project to construct 500,000 sf of research and teaching space on the site of a century-old hospital. The heritage wings of the former hospital will be rehabilitated, and state-of-the-art research and teaching functions will be accommodated in the new construction that is carefully inserted into the site. Renovated space totals 150,000 sf, with 380,000 sf of new construction. Construction is under way, and the building is set for completion in 2028, at a cost of $870 million (Canadian).

George Mason University opened the $107 million Life Sciences and Engineering Building in Manassas in March of 2025. Located on the SciTech campus, the 132,000-sf facility leverages a central location in Virginia’s tech corridor to drive advances in research and education. The four-story structure houses growing programs within the colleges of Engineering and Computing, Science, Education and Human Development, and Visual and Performing Arts.

Roche announced the launch of the Roche Genentech Innovation Center in March of 2025 on Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston. With an initial lease of 30,000 sf of lab space in the first phase of construction, Roche intends to expand their R&D presence to eventually accommodate 500 employees. The initiative will bring together cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism experts with data science and AI specialists to accelerate innovation in drug discovery and development.

Though universities may update master plans every five or 10 years, many find planning works best when it is continual and flexible to accommodate program and leadership changes. A number of projects at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (HSC) in Fort Worth demonstrate the need to assess existing spaces and develop plans for growth and flexibility, as well as the benefits of building long-term relationships with architects and other vendors.

Cleveland Clinic is constructing the $1.1 billion Neurological Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. The 1.2 million-sf translational research facility will consolidate 15 separate centers to catalyze interdisciplinary synergies and improve patient outcomes. Spanning fourteen stories, the state-of-the-art hospital will offer a comprehensive array of services such as neuro-simulation training, infusion therapy, neurodiagnostics, brain mapping suites, imaging, and digitized patient evaluations.

Pennsylvania Western University is constructing a 63,500-sf science building to advance education and research in the natural sciences. Located on the PennWest California campus, the $39 million facility was designed by DRAW Collective to foster experiential learning and put science on display. Driving interdisciplinary collaboration, the three-story structure will house 17 labs and 19 science support areas tailored for disciplines including biology, physics, chemistry, microbiology, ecology, and anatomy and physiology.

An evolution of the equipment and technology researchers need is transforming ordinary labs into facilities that deserve to be called next-generation or future-ready. Significant changes in space utilization and lab planning and design are driven by increased automation and robotics, the incorporation of manufacturing, enhanced information technology with an emphasis on data collection, ever-evolving technologies, developer core/shell fit-outs, hybrid work patterns, and different approaches to project delivery and construction.