Longfellow Real Estate Partners broke ground in August of 2022 on a 323,000-sf life sciences center in San Diego. Designed by HOK, the six-story Bioterra development will provide leading-edge laboratories, offices, and collaboration spaces for biomedical and pharmaceutical tenants. Occupants will enjoy a lush rooftop patio offering inspiring views, with specially curated food and beverage options on the lower levels open to the public.
Cornell University will begin construction in January of 2023 on a 30,000-nsf expansion of Thurston Hall in Ithaca, N.Y. Designed by NBBJ to promote experiential learning, the $40 million project will accommodate the rapidly growing Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The façade of the brick and stone structure, which was originally built in 1951, will be transformed into a contemporary glass and metal exterior that transmits natural light to interior areas.
BioMed Realty is constructing a 495,000-sf life sciences facility at Assembly Innovation Park in Somerville, Mass. Designed by Perkins&Will, the 12-story lab and office tower will provide leasable research environments for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and technology companies. With a floor-to-floor height of 15 feet, the building will offer floor plates of approximately 45,000 sf serviced by robust mechanical and electrical infrastructure.
The University of Washington and Gonzaga University opened the $60 million Health Partnership Building in Spokane in August of 2022. Located at the gateway to the Gonzaga campus, the interdisciplinary center collocates students and faculty from both institutions to create new opportunities for learning and discovery. The 90,000-sf facility offers interactive classrooms, teaching and research labs, faculty offices, a fitness hub, and a state-of-the-art anatomy suite.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation began construction on the $454 million NYC Public Health Laboratory in June of 2022. Strategically sited adjacent to Harlem Hospital, the 240,000-sf building will provide the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with sophisticated infrastructure for the detection and mitigation of infectious diseases and pathogens.
Lincoln Property Company is planning to break ground in early 2023 on a 650,000-sf life sciences center in Boston. Designed by Arrowstreet, Moody Nolan, and Studio Eneé, Seaport Circle will provide Class A lab and office environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical tenants. Two adjoining towers topped by green roof decks will offer flexible, column-free floor plates ranging from 25,000 sf to 70,000 sf.
The University of Cambridge opened the Heart and Lung Research Institute in the United Kingdom in July of 2022. Created in partnership with the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the £60 million facility features state-of-the-art labs for cellular, molecular, and translational research. Accommodating 380 academic and industry scientists, the 86,000-sf project houses a high-throughput characterization suite, a genetics and functional genomic center, the relocated Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, and the 10-bed Clinical Research Facility.
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has acquired an existing life sciences facility to house the Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training. Sited adjacent to the school's campus in Albany, New York, the 154,000-sf structure is uniquely designed for biomedical research with over 60,000 sf of BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory space. The five-story building will be renovated to create dedicated gene therapy labs, mammalian cell labs, teaching wet labs, biopharmaceutical pilot plants, and fermentation and downstream processing facilities.
Hobbs Brook Real Estate opened a 507,000-sf life sciences complex in June of 2022 in Waltham, Mass. Designed by Gensler, the five-story facility provides state-of-the-art research labs, Class A office environments, and a 150-person conference venue. Integrating advanced mechanical and electrical systems, the highly flexible structure offers column-free floor plates that can be configured to support large single-floor tenants or multiple smaller tenants, with amenities centralized in the core.
Takeda is partnering with BioMed Realty to create a 600,000-sf R&D center in Cambridge. Designed by CBT Architects, the 16-story facility will provide sophisticated lab and office environments for the discovery of next-generation biopharmaceutical therapies and vaccines. Takeda has executed a 15-year lease for all of the research floors in the building, which will feature flexible spaces that maximize in-person interaction and connection under a hybrid working model.
The University of Miami Health System broke ground in June of 2022 on the $250 million Transformational Cancer Research Building in Miami. Part of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the 244,000-sf structure will provide the Miller School of Medicine with advanced laboratories where multidisciplinary teams will discover new modalities for cancer treatment and prevention.
Conscience Bay Company is planning to construct the Ridgeway Science & Technology facility in Boulder, Colo. Designed by Stantec to foster discovery and innovation, the two-story, 112,423-sf development will offer flexible lab and office environments complemented by collaboration spaces, outdoor terraces, shower and locker rooms, secure bike storage, and a café with a fire pit. The high-performance structure will integrate robust mechanical and electrical systems to meet the demands of next-generation research programs.
Funding for life sciences is booming, causing a space demand surge in already tight markets across North America. Companies that are ramping up production or spinning out of university labs often lease space in new or in-progress buildings but can have trouble finding the perfect fit. Commercial building inventory, both built and under construction, consists mainly of office space with systems that are incompatible with modern research missions. Outside of a few biotech-focused cities—Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle, for example—it’s hard to find a developer that understands lab space needs, so a life sciences company might hire an architect to work with developers on a redesign. Space considerations include zoning constraints, floor-to-floor heights, minimum floor plate, and electrical capacity.
The University of Pennsylvania and Longfellow Real Estate Partners are planning to construct a 455,000-sf life sciences center on the Pennovation Works property in Philadelphia. Designed by Jacobs, the project will include three structures providing a total of 387,000 sf of R&D space and 68,000 sf of biomanufacturing space for the production of cell and gene therapies.
Cleveland Clinic will begin construction in mid-2022 on the Neurological Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Spanning over a million square feet, the translational research building will integrate inpatient and outpatient care facilities with world-class biomedical laboratories. Designed by Stantec and Hopkins Architects, the collaborative structure will foster interaction between medical professionals and scientists to accelerate the discovery of new therapies and attract the next generation of caregivers.
