Energy Use Reduction

“Smart labs” and the Internet of Things—with sensors and actuators that gather information about the lab environment and adjust its systems according to that data—have been around for a while. But a new wave of construction is allowing designers to incorporate smart concepts from the ground up, providing sensitive and responsive ventilation and airflow systems to a newly COVID-sensitized lab marketplace. Architects and engineers are working together to create flexible systems that respond in real time to conditions inside a research lab. “In a nutshell, we would like a smart building to operate in correlation with its occupancy and utilization,” says Tom Smith, president and CEO of 3Flow.

University College London is constructing IoN-DRI, a £281.6 million neuroscience center where 500 clinicians and investigators will work together to translate research discoveries into innovative solutions for patient care. The interdisciplinary complex will collocate the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (IoN), the UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI), and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

The University of California, Berkeley broke ground on a $95 million expansion of the Bechtel Engineering Center in April of 2023. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the 35,570-sf project will add two new floors to the 43-year-old structure to create a vibrant nexus for multidisciplinary innovation. A transparent steel and glass pavilion will leverage floor-to-ceiling windows, exterior terraces, and a central skylight to provide enhanced access to natural light and views, with an extended canopy porch minimizing direct solar exposure.

The University of South Florida opened the $56 million Judy Genshaft Honors College in May of 2023 in Tampa. Designed by Morphosis with FleischmanGarciaMaslowski as executive architect, the 85,000-sf facility features interwoven environments for learning, study, and interdisciplinary exchange. A soaring central atrium opens onto adjoining flexible spaces that can be connected to accommodate large events.

Emory University opened the $440 million Winship Cancer Institute in May of 2023 in Atlanta. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration with May Architecture, the 455,000-sf facility integrates translational research with clinical care to optimize patient outcomes. The 17-story building offers 80 inpatient beds, six operating rooms, linear accelerators, imaging suites, infusion rooms, wellness areas, and a stunning double-height lobby.

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has made fighting climate change a top priority for its 250-acre campus in Kamloops, British Columbia. University leaders have committed that TRU will become a net-zero campus and be fossil fuel free by 2030. To that end, it is replacing fossil-fuel-powered heating and cooling with a new low-carbon district energy system (LCDES) that includes a combination of heat pumps powered by renewable electricity. TRU officials and others believe electrification through district energy is the most impactful way for institutions to wean themselves off fossil fuels.

Cal Poly dedicated the $133 million William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation in May of 2023 in San Luis Obispo. Designed by ZGF Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 103,800-sf facility represents a collaboration between the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

Breakthrough Properties began construction in May of 2023 on an eight-story, 223,000-sf facility in Philadelphia. Designed by KieranTimberlake, the best-in-class life sciences building will offer sophisticated 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.

Stellenbosch University opened the $66 million Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) in Cape Town in April of 2023. Located on the Tygerburg Campus, the 354,000–sf complex leverages an open design to foster active collaboration between researchers, staff, and students as they investigate the diseases that have the greatest impact on South Africa. Housing the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, this high-performance research hub features a BSL-3 laboratory spanning 6,500 sf, the largest on the continent.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison broke ground in April of 2023 on a $260 million facility for the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences. Designed by LMN Architects and Kahler Slater, the 342,990-sf project will act as a beacon of innovation for Wisconsin’s growing tech ecosystem while meeting an increased demand for programs in robotics, cybersecurity, software design, and machine learning.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is expanding the Gies College of Business with the construction of Steven S. Wymer Hall. The $105 million facility was designed by LMN Architects and Booth Hansen as a dynamic hub for hybrid education that supports both in-person and online instruction.

The Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine will break ground in summer of 2023 on a $375 million research complex in the Oxford in the United Kingdom. Designed by Foster & Partners, the highly collaborative campus will enable teams of investigators and physicians to reimagine cancer treatment while enhancing overall human health.

The University of Arizona opened the $85 million Applied Research Building April of 2023 in Tucson. Collocating investigators from four colleges and eight departments, the three-story, 89,000-sf structure offers state-of-the-art laboratories for engineering, applied physical sciences, and advanced manufacturing.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory opened the $86 million Integrated Engineering Research Center in April of 2023 in Batavia, Ill. Designed by Perkins+Will with Arup as as structural & MEP engineer, the 80,000-sf facility collocates engineers, technicians, and scientists at the heart of Fermi's campus. Providing next-generation infrastructure for advanced particle physics, the flexible and modular building features reconfigurable labs, design studios, and testing suites.

Savannah River National Laboratory began construction in April of 2023 on a $50 million facility located on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Designed by Page and STOA Architects, the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) will enable the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management to engage in shared discovery with academic institutions, industry partners, and government agencies at the city, state, and federal level.