Atrium

Inova Health Center–Oakville opened in October of 2024 in the Potomac Yard neighborhood of Alexandria, Va. Designed by Ballinger and Ennead Architects, the 100,000-gsf facility represents the first phase of a regional initiative aimed at establishing unified clinical standards and operational flows across the system. Key rooms and spaces are consistent in multiple locations to increase efficiency and safety, resulting in improved patient care and outcomes.

Rice University’s Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science, which opened in September 2023, is a 250,000-gsf center for advanced materials sciences designed to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration by bringing together researchers in the fields of chemistry, biomolecular engineering, physics, and nanoengineering who had previously been scattered across 13 different buildings around the campus. 

UK Research and Innovation opened the £93 million National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) in Harwell in October of 2024. Located on the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Campus in Oxfordshire, the 43,055-sf facility features sophisticated dry research environments where multidisciplinary teams can design, build, and operate quantum computers. Available to users from across industry and academia, this purpose-built hub is envisioned as a catalyst for the discovery and the scale-up of commercially viable technologies.

The University of Maine broke ground in October of 2024 on the $81 million Green Engineering and Materials (GEM) building in Orono. Designed by SMRT Architects & Engineers and Grimshaw Architects, the 50,000-sf project will house the Factory of the Future, a test bed for large-format additive manufacturing. Academic spaces for the Maine College of Engineering and Computing will be collocated with active research environments, offering unique opportunities for immersive learning.

A $139 million project to expand the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia (UVA) will provide cutting-edge business education well into the future by offering students the best technological resources, on-site and remote learning environments, and a variety of spaces to collaborate and socialize. The construction of a new 80,000-sf structure and renovation of a historic building, both slated for completion in March 2025, will grow McIntire beyond the 156,000 sf of space it has called home since 2008. The hub of buildings addresses a space deficit and creates a growing commerce complex, providing a link between the university, its students, and nearby business districts.

Caltech opened the $148 million Resnick Sustainability Center in October of 2024 in Pasadena, Calif. Featuring transdisciplinary laboratories with specialized equipment, the 79,727-sf facility enables investigators and innovators from across the Caltech community to engage in collaborative discovery. The four-story structure currently houses four research hubs:

Aviva Investors is constructing the 60,000-sf Sidney Sussex Building in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Located at the Chesterford Research Park, the 60,000-sf life sciences facility will provide 10 individual laboratory environments in an inspiring natural setting. Each fully fitted suite will include open office areas and wet lab space equipped with benches, sinks, and fume hoods, supported by a dedicated plant room located on the same level. A floor of shared conference venues will promote collaboration and exchange.

Montgomery College opened the Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science Building in September of 2024 in Takoma Park, Md. The $104 million facility serves as a vibrant campus centerpiece that will drive excellence in STEM education. Featuring 20 advanced laboratories, the three-story, 108,000-sf structure includes a a planetarium, a cybersecurity center, and a greenhouse. Eight flexible classrooms can accommodate a range of pedagogies, complemented by versatile function spaces and an expansive atrium.

Scripps Research Institute opened the Chi-Huey Wong Laboratories for Biomedical Research in August of 2024. Creating a new gateway to the La Jolla campus, the 83,000-sf structure provides leading-edge environments for drug discovery and development. DGA was the architect for the collaborative facility, which features interconnected open laboratories and a double-height lobby.

The University of Mississippi completed construction in August of 2024 on the $175 million Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation in Oxford. The 202,000-sf facility provides student-centered learning environments for STEM programs in biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and computer science. Featuring 50 technology-enabled active learning (TEAL) classrooms, the building offers teaching labs, lecture halls, a 3D visualization suite, a tutoring center, and a soaring central atrium.

St. John's University will open the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center in September of 2024 on the Queens campus in New York. Designed by CannonDesign, the $106 million facility features state-of-the-art laboratories, active learning classrooms, and simulation suites to train the next generation of caregivers. The 70,000-sf building strategically collocates the School of Nursing with other allied health programs to promote interprofessional education, supported by flexible teaching venues where teams of students can work together.

The Oxford Science Park is expanding in the United Kingdom to provide sophisticated environments for research and discovery. Three new buildings will rise in the innovation district, which is majority owned by Oxford University's Magdalen College. Designed by Scott Brownrigg, The Daubeny Project will offer a total of 450,000 sf of leading-edge life science space supported by enhanced lab infrastructure. Dramatic colonnades on the ground floor will open onto light-filled areas for reception, interaction, and collaboration.