Computers

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building (ALGEN) is the product of a down-to-the-concrete renovation that transformed an aging, nondescript health sciences research facility into a modern, light-filled home to seven floors of four different dry lab phenotypes. The building is topped by an executive floor that, for the first time, brings together key leadership of the university’s health system and Heersink School of Medicine (HSOM). Fresh glazing on an expanse stretching over a busy downtown street creates a striking double helix pattern that telegraphs the building’s mission. A newly constructed conference center adjoins the renovated structure.

The 1,235-acre University of Maryland (UMD) campus in College Park sits just eight miles from the nation’s capital. Founded in 1856 as a land-grant institution, the university offers 300 degree programs through 12 colleges serving 41,000 students and—together with the University of Maryland, Baltimore—has $1.4 billion in sponsored research expenditures. Over the past decade, the school has experienced many shifts, including joining the Big Ten Conference and receiving its largest donation in university history.

The ideal lab building can flex over time to accommodate each new generation of researchers, with minimal disruption and infrastructure change. Using an approach called the “resilient chassis,” labs are grouped by typologies and placed around a common spine or “chassis” of mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems based on zoning and capacity needs. The best location for each lab is determined by grouping labs together that share specialized requirements, such as vibration sensitivities, noise restrictions, lighting or electrical requirements, and instrumentation needs. 

Vantage Data Centers is developing the Frontier mega-campus in Shackleford County, Texas, to meet growing demand for leading-edge artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Sited on 1,200 acres, the $25 billion complex will supply 1.4GW of critical IT capacity to support global hyperscale customers. Ten one-story data centers will span a total of 3.7 million sf and accommodate ultra-high-density racks of over 250kW, utilizing combined air-cooling and liquid-to-liquid cooling to enable these next-generation GPU loads.

Masaryk University (MU) is constructing the MUNI BioPharma Hub to drive excellence in research, education, and innovation in Brno in the Czech Republic. Offering three underground levels and six stories above grade, the 163,504-sf project was designed by Pelčák a partner architekti to combine leading-edge scientific infrastructure with modern academic venues. 

Related Midwest and CRG are planning to establish the $9 billion Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) in Chicago. Supported by $500 million in state funding, this dynamic nexus will enable the entire ecosystem of researchers, suppliers, end users, and partners to accelerate quantum innovation, scale-up, and commercialization. The strategic location on the former U.S. Steel South Works site will ensure optimal access to academic affiliates, local talent, and power and water infrastructure.

The 350,000-sf Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University (BU) brings 3,000 students, faculty, and staff together daily inside a LEED platinum-certified 19-story structure that sits at the heart of the university’s main campus. By replacing most of the building’s Portland cement with other supplementary cementitious materials, installing triple-glazed windows and fins to reduce the solar load, and heating and cooling the building with geothermal boreholes paired with active chilled beams, the project team created one of the largest sustainable and operationally fossil-fuel-free buildings in Boston.

The University of Alabama will begin construction in early 2025 on a new High Performance Computing and Data Center (HPC) to serve academic needs, strategic partners, and the Office of Research and Economic Development. Designed by Davis Architects, the 40,000-gsf structure will house the fastest supercomputer in Alabama, a petascale system capable of performing quadrillions of calculations per second.

Meta will construct an advanced data center in Louisiana to drive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI). Representing an investment of over $10 billion, the custom-designed complex in Richland Parish will encompass approximately 4 million sf. The company is also spending $200 million to improve local infrastructure, offering substantial community benefits and catalyzing economic growth.

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.