Wayne State University broke ground in September of 2025 on the Health Sciences Research Building (HSRB) in Detroit to drive innovation and address regional healthcare disparities. Designed by HKS, the 160,000-sf structure will accommodate leading-edge laboratories for the study of oncology, neuroscience, systems biology and immunology, and metabolism and infectious diseases.
Construction is nearing completion on Samuel Merritt University’s health sciences education campus in Oakland, Calif. In addition to revitalizing the local economy, the 10-story tower will enable the university to double enrollment over the next decade to address the Bay Area’s critical shortage of healthcare workers by expanding the provider pipeline. The $240 million facility will feature 19 classrooms, a motion analysis center, and specialized teaching and research laboratories including a cadaver anatomy lab.
Ancora L&G opened a $165 million life sciences center in October of 2025 in Providence, Rhode Island. Located in the city’s I-95 innovation district, the 212,000-sf building accommodates 80,000 sf of world-class research space owned by and dedicated to the Rhode Island Department of Health.
The University of North Texas is constructing the Science and Technology Building on its Denton campus. Designed by SmithGroup, the $109 million facility will serve the College of Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Health and Public Service, and other departments and programs.
Temple University officially opened a $125 million facility for the Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health in October of 2025 in Philadelphia. Designed by SLAM and PZS Architects, the adaptive reuse project transforms the former Paley Library into a five-story nexus for innovation and academic excellence. The 306,000-sf building offers active learning classrooms, research suites, and offices, as well as a student loft and the Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen.
The University of Oxford opened the Life and Mind Building (LaMB) in October of 2025 in the United Kingdom. Designed by NBBJ, the £200 million ($268 million) facility houses the departments of Experimental Psychology and Biology, the latter including the departments of Plant Sciences and Zoology. The 270,000-sf structure provides high-performance wet and dry labs for learning and research, lecture theaters, classrooms, and conference and seminar rooms, with a teaching center on the ground floor.
Procter & Gamble is engaged in a $450 million expansion of the Mason Business Center in Ohio. Designed by HDR, the transformative project comprises two new three-story buildings that will provide best-in-class laboratory and office space to catalyze R&D innovation. Researchers with diverse domains of expertise will be strategically colocated to drive collaboration and streamline the implementation of new technologies.
The University of North Dakota broke ground in September of 2025 on the STEM Complex in Grand Forks. Designed by Clark & Enersen and EAPC Architects Engineers, the $163 million facility aims to redefine education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the state and beyond. This dynamic ecosystem will foster corporate engagement while accelerating discovery in fields such as transportation, artificial intelligence, and advanced materials.
The University of Louisville's J.B. Speed School of Engineering opened the Student Success & Research Building in September of 2025 in Kentucky. The 114,000-sf facility was designed by SmithGroup and Luckett & Farley to offer a maker space, modern classrooms, laboratories, conference rooms, and teamwork areas.
Western Kentucky University officially opened a $99.4 million facility for the Gordon Ford College of Business in September of 2025 in Bowling Green, Ky. Representing a key component of the institution’s campus master plan, Amy and David Chandler Hall will drive academic innovation and support ongoing enrollment growth in the department.
In both the public and private sector, the pendulum has swung away from remote work, and many leaders want their employees to come back to the office more days per week. While good workplace design can help make workplaces commute-worthy, the success of any return-to-office strategy depends on a mix of operational protocols and design decisions, says Kay Sargent, director of thought leadership, interiors, at global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK.
Texas A&M University broke ground in October of 2025 on a $250 million facility in College Station for programs in hospitality, retail, and food and nutrition sciences. Designed by DLR Group and Pickard Chilton, the Aplin Center will serve as a welcoming campus gateway and a national model for experiential learning.
The College of Eastern Idaho is constructing the Future Tech building on the Idaho Falls campus. The $50 million facility will leverage connections with the region’s institutional and industry leaders to realize advances in energy resources, sustainability practices, and technological applications, while providing hands-on training to address growing workforce demands in those fields.
Rice Real Estate Company and Lincoln Property Company are planning to construct a landmark research facility in the Ion District in Houston. Designed by HKS, the Arc will connect academic excellence with industry, institutional, and entrepreneurial partners to accelerate the transition of science and technology discoveries to the marketplace.
Claremont McKenna College opened the Robert Day Sciences Center in September of 2025 in Claremont, Calif. As the home for the new Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences, the 135,000-sf facility enables a transformative pedagogy organized around three overlapping foci: health, brain, and planet. The three-story structure supports a research-centered, solutions-driven curriculum, creating experiential learning opportunities for students and emphasizing the applications of artificial intelligence to real-world challenges.
