Collaboration

The University of Mississippi Medical Center dedicated the $50 million Translational Research Center in November of 2017 in Jackson, Miss. Designed by Flad Architects, the collaborative 124,852-sf building houses the Neuro Institute, the Technology Transfer Office, and the MIND Center, a neurocognitive dementia research facility. Providing both wet and dry laboratories, the center houses business incubator space, conference rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and space for clinical trials.

Boston College is planning to build a $150 million science center in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Housing the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, the 150,000-sf facility will support programs in applied sciences, engineering, design, global public health, and computer and data sciences. Designed to promote innovation, the interdisciplinary building will feature makerspaces, research labs, a cleanroom, a collaboration commons, and technology-rich teaching labs for robotics, computing, and data visualization.

The Chemours Company, a specialty chemical manufacturer, will begin construction in January of 2018 on the $150 million Discovery Hub in Newark, Del. Supporting collaborative research, commercialization, and training initiatives, the four-story, 312,000-sf facility will be located on the University of Delaware’s Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus. The Discovery Hub will provide 100 labs, 20 huddle rooms, 50 specialty rooms, conference spaces, and cafés. Completion is expected in early 2020.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is constructing the $102 million Physical Sciences Building. Designed by Wilson Architects to promote collaboration, the 79,500-gsf facility will accommodate 20 faculty members and 130 bench positions for the departments of physics and chemistry. Comprising two stories above ground and a basement level, the building will provide conference rooms, faculty offices, laboratories, and high bay spaces with vibration mitigation technologies.

The University of California, Riverside is constructing the $150 million Multidisciplinary Research Building 1 (MRB1). Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the five-story, 179,000-sf facility will provide collaborative wet, dry, and computational laboratories to accommodate up to 56 researchers and their teams. The project will include offices, conference rooms, BSL-2 labs, core research space, and a barrier vivarium with animal holding areas, procedure rooms, and support.

The University of Colorado Boulder broke ground in October of 2017 on an $82.5 million aerospace engineering building. Designed by Hord Coplan Macht (HCM) and Ratio Architects, the collaborative 144,000-sf project will provide reconfigurable open research labs, interactive learning spaces, faculty offices, workshops, a 200-seat auditorium, and an indoor flight environment for unmanned aircraft. Whiting-Turner is the general contractor and occupancy is expected in summer of 2019.

The University of Oregon broke ground in March of 2018 on the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact in Eugene. Designed by Ennead Architects and Bora Architects, the first phase of construction will include a $225 million, 160,000-sf facility providing interdisciplinary laboratories for biomedical research, collaboration areas, and public spaces. Completion is expected in early 2020.

The University of California, Santa Barbara opened the $86 million BioEngineering Building in October of 2017. Designed by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration, the three-story, 45,000-sf facility provides 17,200 sf of open lab space, a 100-seat auditorium, an atrium, and offices for faculty, graduate students, and administrative staff.

Rutgers University–Newark opened the $59 million Life Sciences Center II in October of 2017. The five-story, 85,000-sf interdisciplinary facility connects three existing science buildings and features teaching labs, research labs, and a technology-rich lecture hall for active learning that can accommodate 100 students. Suites for imaging and electron microscopy are located below grade. 

The University of Ottawa is building the CAD$115 million Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Complex. Designed by Perkins+Will Canada, the 312,000-sf facility will feature open-plan teaching labs, a dedicated prototyping center, makerspaces with 3D printers, and an entrepreneurship hub. The project team includes general contractor PCL Construction, project manager CBRE, mechanical/electrical engineer Bouthillette Parizeau, and structural engineer Cleland Jardine.

Colorado State University celebrated the opening of the $56.4 million Chemistry Research Building in Fort Collins in October of 2017. Designed by Hord Coplan Macht and Ratio Architects, the four-story, 60,000-sf facility provides 11 faculty research areas in a collaborative open environment with an abundance of fume hoods. The laboratory design consultant for the building was Research Facilities Design (RFD).

The College of New Jersey opened the $75 million STEM Building in October of 2017 in Ewing Township. Supporting programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 89,000-sf facility houses the departments of biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering to provide integrated teaching and research space, the multidisciplinary building offers classrooms, informal learning areas, a metal fabrication workshop, and a physiology lab.

Sacramento State University broke ground in September of 2017 on the $91 million Science II facility in Sacramento, Calif. Accommodating the departments of biology and chemistry, the five-story, 96,631-sf project will offer 30 glass-walled teaching and research labs, classrooms, collaboration spaces, a 2,500-sf planetarium, and a rooftop observatory. The design-build team includes CO Architects and Sundt Construction.

MilliporeSigma opened its 280,000-sf Life Sciences Center in October of 2017 in Burlington, Mass. Accommodating approximately 100 employees, the facility provides offices and a collaboration center for customers to engage in training, troubleshooting, and experimentation activities. Additionally, a biodevelopment lab enabling small-scale pharmaceutical manufacturers to conduct early-stage clinical trials will open at the site by January of 2018. The Life Sciences Center is located in a five-story leased facility and represents an investment of $115 million.

The University of Michigan is planning to begin construction in spring of 2018 on the $90 million Engineering Laboratory Building (ELB) in Dearborn. Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the 120,000-sf project will include 63,000 sf of new construction and 57,000 sf of renovated space. Promoting collaborative learning and innovation, the multidisciplinary facility will offer 28 labs, 23 faculty offices, and five general classrooms.