Sustainability

Merck celebrated the official groundbreaking for the $1.3 billion London Discovery Research Centre in October of 2023. Created in partnership with Precis Advisory, the 10-story, 269,000-sf building will provide 180,000 sf of leased space for the company’s UK headquarters. The vibrant facility will feature state-of-the-art labs, offices, and collaboration spaces where approximately 180 researchers will work alongside 600 employees involved in business development, regulatory compliance, and clinical affairs.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities completed construction in November of 2023 on Moderna's global headquarters at One Kendall Square. Designed by NBBJ to be the most sustainable lab building in Cambridge, the 462,100-rsf facility will support the development of innovative mRNA vaccines and therapies. The Class A+ property integrates advanced R&D labs and offices with engaging gathering spaces to promote interaction and collaboration.

SKS Partners is planning to construct the Berkeley Space Center at NASA Research Park in Mountain View. Representing a joint venture with the University of California, Berkeley, the 36-acre innovation hub at Moffett Field will catalyze technological breakthroughs spanning astronautics, aeronautics, quantum computing, climate studies, and the social sciences.

The University of Georgia dedicated the $54.1 million Poultry Science Building in Athens in October of 2023. Designed by Flad Architects, the 70,000-sf structure provides leading-edge facilities for programs in avian biology, genetics, nutrition, and product safety. The transformative development provides the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with state-of-the-art classrooms, teaching labs, BSL-2 research labs, demonstration areas, conference rooms, and offices for faculty and staff.

The University of California, San Francisco is planning to construct the $842 million Research and Academic Building on its Parnassus Heights campus. Designed by HGA and Snøhetta to foster interdisciplinary exchange and discovery, the 300,000-gsf facility will provide advanced laboratories for programs in oncology, microbiology, immunology, and cell biology.

Evergreen Bioscience Innovation Cluster is planning to construct a 77,000-sf research center in Spokane. Designed by ALSC Architects, the four-story facility will offer 55,000 leasable square feet of space where growing companies can engage in collaborative discovery. State-of-the-art wet labs supported by robust infrastructure will accelerate the discovery of new therapies, complemented by a range of collaboration spaces and office environments. 

The University of North Texas at Dallas broke ground on the $100 million Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Building in September of 2023. Stantec is providing integrated design services for the 122,000-sf facility, which will offer up to 20 general purpose “high-flex” classrooms, nine teaching labs, three research labs, and numerous collaboration spaces. Adaptable wet labs will leverage modular infrastructure to accommodate a variety of biology and chemistry courses.

The University of California, Riverside opened the $100 million School of Medicine Education Building II in September of 2023. Created by the design-build team of CO Architects and Hensel Phelps, the 95,478-gsf facility offers 56,500 asf of innovative learning and support space. The first three floors of the five-story structure are dedicated to instruction and collaboration, augmented by sophisticated audiovisual technologies throughout.

Boston Scientific will begin construction in late 2023 on the $170 million Minnesota Science and Technology Center in Maple Grove, Minn. Offering sophisticated R&D labs and flexible office environments, the three-story, 400,000-sf structure will comprise two wings connected by a collaborative atrium. The amenity-rich facility will also include a conference center, support spaces, a fitness suite, and a cafeteria.  

Centennial College opened the CAD$112 million A-Building in September of 2023 in Toronto. Acting as a gateway to the school's Progress Campus in Scarborough, the highly sustainable project has attained LEED Gold certification and is the first zero-carbon, mass-timber facility at an institution of higher education in Canada. Construction of a 130,000-sf addition and the renovation of 15,000 sf of existing space has created a vibrant academic hub for the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center broke ground in late September of 2023 on the $668 million South Campus Research Building 5 in Houston. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects to catalyze biomedical discovery and innovation, the 600,000-sf structure will anchor the institutions's R&D campus at the Texas Medical Center's Helix Park. Housing the James P.

The University of Michigan will begin construction in late 2023 on a $141 million building for the College of Pharmacy in Ann Arbor. Collocating functions previously dispersed in seven separate locations, the 142,000-gsf teaching and research facility will provide active learning classrooms, laboratories, support spaces, faculty and administrative offices, and a student services suite. With a range of settings for group and individual study, the highly collaborative project will include open community areas for informal interaction and exchange.

Northeastern University opened the $300 million EXP building in September of 2023 in Boston. Featuring a 15,000-sf maker space, the 357,000-sf facility offers active learning environments, teaching and research labs, executive offices, a faculty club, and a café. A range of meeting and collaboration venues will catalyze interdisciplinary discovery and exchange.

Trammell Crow Company will begin construction in late 2023 on a 234,000-sf life sciences center in Redwood City, Calif. Created in collaboration with joint venture partner CBRE Investment Management, the five-story facility will offer Class A lab and office environments for biomedical tenants. Advanced building systems will reduce carbon emissions while accommodating the demands of next-generation research programs, with sophisticated HVAC infrastructure supplying 100 percent outside air to enhance occupant wellbeing. 

Virginia Tech is planning to break ground in spring of 2024 on a $292 million engineering building located in the North Academic District in Blacksburg. Replacing an existing structure, Mitchell Hall will act as a centralized hub for several departments including mechanical, chemical, aerospace, and ocean engineering. The five-story, 285,500-gsf development was designed by Perkins&Will to foster experiential learning with student collaboration spaces on every level.