Sustainability

The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine opened a 154,000-sf hub in July of 2025 to enable an innovative, holistic curriculum and train future generations of providers in Arkansas and beyond. Designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox to reflect changing paradigms in medical education in function and form, the four-story structure features leading-edge educational environments including simulation centers, a maker space, and a 3,010-sf anatomy resource center.

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 University of California, Berkeley is planning to begin construction in spring of 2026 on a seven-story facility for the Innovative Genomics Institute and Bakar Labs. Designed by DGA and Weiss/Manfredi, the development will expand research capabilities in genomics engineering with CRISPR technologies and provide critical infrastructure for life science companies scaling their operations. 

Beacon Capital Partners and Trammell Crow Company completed Hyde Park Labs in July of 2025 in Chicago. The $225 million project was designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, Moody Nolan, and Interactive Design Architects to offer 300,000 rsf of Class A lab and office space spread over nine floors. With 4,200 sf of chemical storage space and vivarium access, the 13-story facility includes an executive boardroom, four floors of above- and below-ground parking, and street-level retail.

Washington State University is constructing the 65,000-sf Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus. Designed by ZGF Architects, the $80.4 million facility will act as the gateway to a vibrant new precinct for the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture. Two welcoming entry points will lead to an open, flexible atrium where students can gather and collaborate, accompanied by a learning and advising center to enhance academic outcomes.

Indiana University opened the $230 million Medical Education and Research Building (MERB) in June of 2025 in Indianapolis. Representing the largest construction project in the history of the School of Medicine, the 11-story, 326,200-gsf complex was designed by Perkins&Will and Browning Day as a dynamic hub for instruction, training, and discovery.

Fermi America is partnering with the Texas Tech University System to establish the Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus in Amarillo. Also known as the HyperGrid, the visionary development will provide crucial infrastructure to meet the growing demands of artificial intelligence, data innovation, and sustainable energy. The 5,769-acre site will accommodate 18 million sf of data center space and will eventually generate up to 11 gigawatts of IT capacity.

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.

Virginia Commonwealth University is planning to construct a new School of Dentistry to advance dental education and improve access to care throughout the state and beyond. Designed by Kahler Slater in collaboration with Hanbury, the 312,000-sf facility will collocate sophisticated teaching labs with environments for clinical instruction and specialized patient treatment in a landmark setting.

Harper College began construction in June of 2025 on the Business and Social Sciences Building in Palatine, Ill. Designed by RAMSA and FGM Architects, the $78 million facility will offer flexible environments for a wide range of programs including accounting, political science, legal studies, psychology, sociology, drone technology, and computer information systems. The 92,380-gsf structure will feature a moot courtroom and a multifunctional theater and auditorium with 300 seats.

Construction will begin in fall of 2025 on the first phase of a 1,614,600-sf expansion of the Wellcome Genome Campus in the Hinxton, Cambridgeshire. The transformative project is led by master developer Urban&Civic and will extend the site from 125 to 440 acres. Supported by infrastructure works including roads, bridges, and utility networks, this visionary initiative will also deliver 1,500 homes, a recreation center, a swimming pool, and other amenities.

Three years after the end of the pandemic, office occupancies have still not gone back to where they were pre-COVID, and there is a wide range of opinions about whether they should. While some executives have ordered everyone back into the office, arguing that being physically present facilitates engagement and innovation, many workers argue that their working life and their home life are better when they can choose where they log on.

California State University, Fullerton broke ground in June of 2025 on the College of Engineering and Computer Science Innovation Hub. Gensler designed the $85 million facility as collaborative workspace that will empower the next generation of innovators and industry professionals to solve real-world challenges. Rising next to the existing engineering building, the 42,000-sf structure will offer teaching and research labs, maker spaces, immersive learning environments, and areas for project-based exploration.

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences opened the Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation in June of 2025. Designed by Harriman, the $31 million project represents a 40 percent increase in the footprint of the nonprofit institution's campus in East Boothbay, Maine. The 25,000-sf expansion offers advanced laboratories for discovery and development where investigators will translate early-stage ideas into novel products and solutions.

Wexford Science & Technology opened a visionary innovation district called The Pearl in Charlotte in June of 2025. Created as a public-private partnership with Advocate Health, Atrium Health, and Ventas, the mixed-use development strategically collocates world-class facilities for medical instruction and training with research environments for leading health technology companies.