Animal Research

The University of Washington is building the $123.5 million Animal Research and Care Facility in Seattle. Housing the Department of Comparative Medicine, the 83,000-sf subterranean structure will accommodate rodents, pigs, dogs, and non-human primates. Comprising two floors of approximately 40,000 sf each, the facility will provide labs, procedure rooms, imaging suites, cage and equipment wash, storage, and support. Construction began in early 2015 and occupancy is expected in August of 2017.

Minerals research firm Mintek opened a cleanroom and biocontainment laboratory in April of 2015 in Johannesburg. Supported by $2.4 million in funding from South Africa's Department of Science and Technology, the project includes an ISO 5 cleanroom and a BSL-3 suite to accommodate the development of advanced diagnostic technologies for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. The facilities feature sophisticated controls for the regulation of temperature, pressure, moisture, and airborne particles.

University College London has awarded Graham Construction a $25 million contract to renovate the existing Courtauld Building to create a biomedical research facility. The project will house the Medical Research Council's Prion Unit and will accommodate the study of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

A new animal facility at the University of Massachusetts Medical School features more efficient cage handling and cleaning, interstitial catwalks for maintenance, and a dual-corridor layout that minimizes contamination, all of which are best practices for decision-making and design, according to Jerry Silverman, director of the university’s Department of Animal Medicine, and laboratory/animal facility planner Josh Meyer. The Albert Sherman Center, the third such facility to be opened on the campus, contains several of these improvements over its predecessors.

Nanotherapeutics is building the $135 million Advanced Development and Manufacturing Center in Alachua, Fla. Designed by RS&H, the 165,000-sf project will support vaccine development and production utilizing advanced biomanufacturing technologies. Ground was broken on the facility in October of 2013 and completion is expected by 2016. Nanotherapeutics is contracted to the Department of Defense to develop medical countermeasures to chemical and biological threats as well as infectious disease outbreaks.

Brigham Young University-Idaho began constructing the 108,000-sf Science and Technology Building in Rexburg in March of 2015. Designed by CRSA of Salt Lake City, the three-story facility will provide classrooms, labs, and faculty offices for the Departments of Animal and Food Science, Applied Plant Science, Computer Information Technology, and Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. The general contractor for the project is Headwaters Construction. Completion is expected in fall of 2016.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) have completed a study of a therapeutic candidate for the Marburg virus in a BSL-4 research facility in Fort Belvoir, Va. The study was conducted entirely under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) conditions, setting a precedent for GLP testing of medical products for BSL-4 pathogens. This may facilitate rapid evaluation and licensing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The University of Arkansas will begin construction in mid-2015 on the $16.3 million Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville. Designed by WER Architects, the 60,000-sf facility will provide multidisciplinary laboratories and greenhouses for plant and animal science as well as water quality research. The project will include a 300-seat auditorium and administrative offices for the UA Agricultural Experiment Station. The general contractor for the facility is Nabholz Construction.

Nasa Ames Research Center is planning to construct a life biosciences laboratory in Moffett Field, Calif. The two-story, 40,000-sf facility will provide 19,000 sf of BSL-2 wet labs and support and 21,000 sf of office and conference space. With a project cost of up to $60 million, the fumehood-rich building will include procedure rooms, a radiation lab, environmental rooms, and a tissue culture suite. LEED Silver or Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the laboratory.

The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases is planning to build a $2.5 million viral diagnostic and research laboratory (VDRL) in Kolkata. Sited on a 10,000-sf area of land, the BSL-3 facility will support the detection of emerging infectious diseases as well as accommodating research on virology and immunology. The project is one of 10 regional laboratories that will be constructed in India to ensure rapid response to viral outbreaks and epidemics.

The University of Georgia dedicated the $97.7 million Veterinary Medical Center in Athens in February of 2015. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 300,000-sf complex includes an education building and an animal hospital. The project provides the College of Veterinary Medicine with a 160-seat auditorium, an 80-seat active learning classroom, two smaller classrooms, and an enhanced large and small animal teaching hospital. Turner Construction began building the center in spring of 2013.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology completed construction in January of 2015 on China's first maximum containment biosafety laboratory. Located in the Hubei province, the facility will support research on Class 4 Pathogens (P4) including Ebola and smallpox. The lab was created in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Institut Merieux, a French biomedical firm. Construction began on the project in July of 2011.

The National University of Ireland Galway began construction in January of 2015 on the 88,000-sf Human Biology Building. Designed by Scott Talon Walker Architects, the five-story teaching and research facility will provide labs, lecture halls, and offices for the departments of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. The Human Biology Building will also include a vivarium, a microscopy suite, and anatomy and mortuary space. The construction cost of the project is $34 million and the general contractor is BAM Group Ireland.

The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is building a new 6,500-sf facility in Durham. Located on the campus of the University of New Hampshire, the $2.5 million project will support the detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases. The facility represents a partnership between the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food.

Qatar University has selected WorkingBuildings of Atlanta to design, build, and provide operational support for the new BSL-3 Select Agent Laboratory in Doha, Qatar. Located at the New Research Complex, the facility will support the study of emerging infectious diseases and other biological threats. The laboratory will enable rapid response to regional public health issues as well as accommodating investigations involving biological or chemical terrorism.