Collaboration

George Brown College broke ground in December of 2021 on a CAD$160 million mass timber building in Toronto. Designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Acton Ostry Architects, Limberlost Place will house the School of Architectural Studies, the School of Computer Technology, and the Brookfield Sustainability Institute. The 10-story, 204,000-sf facility will also accommodate research labs, flexible classrooms, lecture halls, computer labs, meeting rooms, a childcare facility, and a three-story atrium.

Pennsylvania State University opened the $98.5 million Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Building in December of 2021 in University Park. Designed by HOK, the 105,000-sf facility provides the College of Agricultural Sciences with a state-of-the-art vivarium, a general-purpose classroom capable of accommodating 100 students, a 48-seat seminar room, and faculty offices.

Genentech has agreed to a whole-building lease for a 229,000-sf life sciences facility at Gateway Commons in South San Francisco. Developed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities and Boston Properties, 751 Gateway will provide leading-edge lab and office environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical research. Featuring best-in-class amenities, the collaborative structure represents the first phase of a vibrant biomedical campus. Construction is ongoing with initial occupancy expected in early 2024. 

The University of Redlands is planning to construct the 30-acre University Village adjacent to its existing campus in Redlands, Calif. Moore Ruble Yudell has been selected as the architect and planner for the public-private development, which is being created in collaboration with REACH Redlands LLC, a joint venture of Republic Metropolitan, Creative Housing Associates, and Arteco Partners.

The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is constructing the $325 million New Education and Research Building in Worcester. Designed by ZGF Architects and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, the 350,000-sf facility will house the departments of neurology and neurobiology, a gene therapy center, and programs in animal research, molecular medicine, and human genetics and evolutionary biology.

The University of California, San Diego opened the $67 million Design and Innovation Building in La Jolla in November of 2021. The four-story, 74,000-sf facility is a dynamic hub for experiential learning and discovery that collocates entrepreneurial activities previously dispersed across campus. Sited adjacent to a new light rail station and an outdoor amphitheater, the multidisciplinary structure includes four distinct spaces.

AstraZeneca opened The Discovery Centre in November of 2021 in the United Kingdom. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron and BDP, the £1 billion R&D facility can accommodate over 2,200 investigators engaged in the creation of next-generation therapeutics and innovative precision medicines. Integrating advanced robotic and AI-driven technologies, the 580,000-sf project is strategically sited on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to promote collaboration and convergence with neighboring institutions and industry partners. 

The University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern broke ground on the Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Building in November of 2021. Located on the East Campus of UT Southwestern Medical Center, the 150,000-sf facility will strategically collocate complementary research programs to foster the discovery and development of innovative medical solutions.

East Carolina University opened the $90 million Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building in November of 2021 in Greenville, N.C. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent, the 141,500-sf facility provides leading-edge wet and dry labs for programs in biotechnology, bioprocessing engineering, biophysics, environmental engineering, biofuels, plant biology, environmental biology, and imaging and sensor development.

The University of Arkansas will begin construction in summer of 2022 on the $33.5 million Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation in Fayetteville. Designed by Grafton Architects in collaboration with Modus Studio, the 45,000-sf project will enable the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design to accelerate the creation of innovative timber construction modalities.

The University of Oxford began construction in November of 2021 on the £200 million Life and Mind Building in the United Kingdom. Designed by NBBJ to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the 270,000-sf facility will house the departments of experimental psychology and biology, which will include space for programs in zoology and plant sciences.

The University of Mississippi broke ground in October of 2021 on the $175 million Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation in Oxford.

Sterling Bay began construction in October of 2021 on a 320,000-sf life sciences center in Chicago. Designed by Gensler, the eight-story ALLY building will provide leading-edge lab and office environments for biomedical and pharmaceutical tenants. With 15’ floor-to-floor heights, the 280,000-rsf project will offer flexible floor plates of approximately 42,000 sf.

Eastern Washington University opened the $67 million Interdisciplinary Science Center in Cheney in October of 2021. Designed by LMN Architects with Research Facilities Design as laboratory design consultant, the four-story, 102,000-sf facility features vibrant social spaces supporting a variety of teaching laboratories that put science on display. Accommodating programs in physics, chemistry, biology, and geology, the student-centered building offers sophisticated classrooms, lecture halls, offices, collaboration spaces, and study areas.

The newly renovated Robert A. Welch Hall lays the groundwork to transform the way science is taught and done at the University of Texas, Austin, to move from siloed departments to transdisciplinary research that focuses on emerging fields that occur at the interfaces of traditional core science departments. While the sciences had been almost entirely housed in separate single-department buildings, the College of Natural Science’s master plan calls for more program-based facilities. The renovation infuses the building with light and increases its research capacity by 30 percent.