Office: Researcher

The 2024 SEFA Lab of the Year was awarded to the new Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) Center in Basel, Switzerland, that opened in September 2024 as a state-of-the-art research center dedicated to the discovery and development of groundbreaking drugs. The pRED Center exemplifies the future of transformative research by fostering innovation and collaboration, and embodying Roche’s commitment to advancing global healthcare and delivering life-changing treatments. 

BioMed Realty is constructing a 637,000-sf life sciences facility in Cambridge for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Designed by CBT Architects, the 16-story structure will provide advanced lab and office environments to accelerate the creation of innovative therapies and vaccines. Featuring flexible spaces to optimize in-person interaction and connection in a hybrid working model, the leased building furthers Takeda’s goal of unifying their Global R&D Center in Kendall Square.

Mount Sinai Health System opened the $100 million Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health in November of 2024 in New York. Designed by HOK, the project involved the transformation of a former nursing residence into a 65,000-sf research hub for computational discovery. The 12-story structure will initially house approximately 40 principal investigators, alongside 250 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, computer scientists, and staff.

The fast-moving nature of biotechnology innovation means architects and designers for Regeneron have to plan for researchers’ requirements to change by the time new laboratories open on the Tarrytown, N.Y., campus. The campus is undergoing a $1.8 billion expansion, adding 900,000 sf of new laboratory and office space, along with additional parking, amenities, and infrastructure to support research and development.

Construction began in November of 2024 on the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre (ASEC) in Moncton, New Brunswick. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in association with EXP, the adaptive reuse project will transform the existing Gulf Fisheries Centre into a four-story complex equipped with leading-edge laboratories and technologies.

The Canadian Centre for Advanced Material Manufacturing (CCAM) opened in Mississauga in fall of 2024. The transformation of the existing building was designed by the Canada FIRST joint venture, a collaboration between HOK, Architecture49, and WSP. The ambitious project represents the first milestone in the Laboratories Canada program, a strategic initiative by the federal government aimed at modernizing and enhancing science facilities across the nation.

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.

Breakthrough Properties celebrated the opening of a 510,000-sf life sciences campus in San Diego in October of 2024. Designed by Flad Architects, Torrey View by Breakthrough offers state-of-the-art wet labs for the development of novel therapies and technologies, as well as flexible workspaces and collaboration areas. An iconic tessellated envelope allows interior floor plates to be infused with natural light, maximizing occupant wellness and energy efficiency without compromising performance.

Lehigh University's new Health, Science & Technology Building is designed to break down silos between academic departments, to enhance faculty research and better prepare students for tomorrow’s transdisciplinary world. Three different lab modules—with no walls between them—facilitate easy transitions from one use to another, as well as expansion and contraction as needs change. And collaboration spaces are strategically located between labs throughout the building.

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.

Breakthrough Properties is constructing a 225,000-sf life sciences facility in Philadelphia. Designed by KieranTimberlake, the nine-story building will offer best-in-class research environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical tenants. The purpose-built structure will feature open floorplates with highly flexible lab zones that can accommodate a wide range of programs.

The U.S. Department of Energy dedicated the $75 million Grid Storage Launchpad in August of 2024 at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. Accelerating the development of novel decarbonization solutions, the 85,000-sf facility provides 30 energy research labs, multiple conference rooms, and open office areas with flexible workstations for 100 staff members. 

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.