Sustainability

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.

Simmons University is partnering with Skanska to create Longwood Place, a vibrant nexus for research, work, and community engagement in Boston. Featuring 2.6 acres of public space, the mixed-use project will leverage sophisticated amenities to transform the district into a destination for economic growth and innovation. The redevelopment of the university’s residential campus in Fenway will provide over 1.3 million sf of Class A lab and office environments, retail and community venues, and approximately 380 housing units.

Biogen is planning to centralize its operations with a 580,000-sf global headquarters in the Kendall Common development in Cambridge, Mass. Representing a 15-year lease agreement, the facility’s strategic location will strengthen existing partnerships with MIT in research, education, and commercialization, and build on Biogen’s legacy as an integral part of the Kendall Square ecosystem.

The University of Mannheim officially broke ground in March of 2025 on a €39.5 million ($42.5 million) data center in Germany. Designed by Wulf Architekten to accommodate the university’s IT department, the leading-edge facility will feature modern workspaces for up to 150 occupants. From a vibrant central atrium, a seating staircase with integrated meeting areas will connect all floors of the four-story structure to foster social exchange.

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.

Harwell began construction in early 2025 on Tech Foundry West in the United Kingdom. This dynamic nexus is rising on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire and will offer 70,000 sf of leasable laboratory, advanced manufacturing, and office space. Designed by Scott Brownrigg, the development integrates individual units within a flexible layout to ensure future adaptability to varying multi-tenant arrangements.

San Diego State University began work in early 2025 on a new STEM facility to enhance student success and increase research access and productivity. SmithGroup designed this iconic campus destination to advance innovation and discovery while addressing growing industry demand for science graduates. Spanning 79,000 gsf, the five-story center will provide approximately 38,000 asf of space for instructional and research laboratories, including both wet and dry environments, as well as related support spaces and faculty offices.

Brandywine Realty Trust has completed construction on 3151 Market Street, a dynamic innovation facility in the heart of Philadelphia’s life sciences cluster. Designed by Gensler, the 472,000-sf tower offers purpose-built offices and customizable laboratories with options for chemical and biological use, GMP production, and vivarium operations. Collaboration and knowledge exchange are enhanced by an advanced conference center and a café, complemented by private terraces and green spaces to amplify employee productivity.

Cornell University is planning to expand Duffield Hall to create a vibrant home for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Ithaca, N.Y. Supported by a $100 million donation, the project will add 130,000 sf of new and renovated space. Upon completion, the 300,000-sf facility will feature an embedded, low-vibration research wing for quantum computing on a built-out basement level, complemented by three stories above grade.

Sciontec is planning to construct Hemisphere, a £156 million ($205.3 million) laboratory and office development in Liverpool, U.K. Strategically sited in the city’s Knowledge Quarter, the complex will include two eight-story structures offering a total of 216,861 nsf. Designed by AHR to foster workplace wellbeing and productivity, this nexus of discovery will also include a central biophilic plaza, interior greenhouses, showers, and a cycle hub.

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.

The University of Southampton broke ground in March of 2025 on a £180 million ($230 million) teaching and learning building on the Highfield campus in the United Kingdom. Designed by Sheppard Robson to foster creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence, the 166,800-sf facility will house lecture halls, seminar rooms, and faculty office space. The five-story structure will serve as the new home for the university’s Primary Care Research Centre and the Faculty of Medicine.

The 350,000-sf Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University (BU) brings 3,000 students, faculty, and staff together daily inside a LEED platinum-certified 19-story structure that sits at the heart of the university’s main campus. By replacing most of the building’s Portland cement with other supplementary cementitious materials, installing triple-glazed windows and fins to reduce the solar load, and heating and cooling the building with geothermal boreholes paired with active chilled beams, the project team created one of the largest sustainable and operationally fossil-fuel-free buildings in Boston.