Government

The National Institutes of Health is planning to build a dementia research center in Bethesda, Md. The 24,000-sf facility will provide labs, open collaboration spaces, conference rooms, and offices to support the discovery of new diagnostic tools and treatments for Alzheimer's disease and related conditions. The single-story structure will be delivered in less than two years using modular construction technologies. The cost of the project has yet to be determined, with estimates ranging from $25 to $100 million.

NASA will begin construction in March of 2020 on the 54,000-sf Aerospace Communications Facility in Cleveland. Located at the Glenn Research Center, the structure will provide approximately 25 R&D labs, a shielded high-bay space, and areas for rooftop and ground-based antennae fields. The project has a maximum construction contract value of $33.8 million and will be built by The Austin Company. A minimum of LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which will include a geothermal system to enhance energy performance.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is constructing the Operations Support Building in Huntsville, Ala. Aided by $385 million in FY2019 funding, the facility is part of a $1 billion project to create the FBI’s HQ2 campus at the Redstone Arsenal. Enabling the relocation of approximately 4,000 employees from other locations, the six-building complex will support the bureau's cybercrime research and response operations. Three of the planned facilities, including the Operations Support Building, are currently under construction.

The U.S. Department of Transportation broke ground in late October of 2019 on the 400,000-sf John A. Volpe Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the project involves the construction of a $750 million transportation research facility sited on four acres, which will be funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The remaining ten acres currently occupied by the Department of Transportation will be released to the university for mixed-use development.

Idaho National Laboratory opened two new computing research facilities in Idaho Falls in October of 2019. Designed by Flad Architects, the $90 million project will accommodate joint research with Idaho State University, Boise State University, and the University of Idaho. 

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office announced up to $33.5 million in funding in May of 2019 for early-stage research and development of advanced building construction techniques to reduce energy costs. The Advanced Building Construction with Energy-Efficient Technologies & Practices (ABC) initiative aims to develop deep energy retrofit and new construction technologies that holistically tackle a combination of envelope, heating, cooling, water heating, and ventilation issues.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory broke ground on the $95 million Translational Research Capability facility in May of 2019 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Located on a brownfield site on ORNL’s main campus, the three-story, 100,000-sf building will provide laboratory and office space to support research programs in computing, quantum information, and materials science.

The Center for Active Design will release Fitwel v2.1 in June of 2019. Promoting the creation of facilities that optimize health, Fitwel was developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Center for Active Design acting as its licensed operator. The updated version of Fitwel includes a new construction pathway for pre-occupancy and post-occupancy projects and now provides both a Design Certification and a Built Certification. Existing facilities will continue to be eligible for certification in the Built category.

Johns Hopkins University is planning to create an interdisciplinary academic hub on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Designed by Ennead Architects with SmithGroup as architect of record, the project includes the transformation of the former Newseum facility to provide a home for the School of Advanced International Studies, as well as offering space for the Carey Business School, the School of Nursing, and the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Pacific Northwest National Lab is planning to build a $90 million energy sciences research building in Richland, Wash. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the collaborative facility will provide between 110,000 and 145,000 sf of flexible lab and office space to support fundamental research in chemistry, materials science, and computing. Accommodating advanced instrumentation including next-generation NMR and electron microscopy devices, the project will enable the development of new energy and transportation technologies.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is planning to build the Translational Research Capability project in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Located on ORNL’s main campus, the three-story laboratory and office building will provide between 80,000 and 115,000 gsf of space to support growing research programs in materials science and computing. A request for qualifications will be released in April of 2019 for the design-build project, which has an estimated construction cost of $58 million. Work will begin on the facility in early 2020 with completion expected by December of 2022. 

National Research Council Canada opened the Manufacturing and Automotive Innovation Hub in December of 2018 in London, Ontario. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects to promote collaboration and interaction, the flexible facility provides four laboratories, a high crane bay, and two vehicle bays to support the optimization of manufacturing supply chain operations and the development of innovative products and technologies. A 9,200-sf open office environment with abundant natural light is located on the second floor of the 16,740-sf facility.

NASA Glenn Research Center will begin construction in fall of 2018 on the Research Support Building in Cleveland. Walsh Construction Company has been awarded a $32.7 million contract to build the two-story, 64,000-sf facility, which will provide collaborative engineering suites, open and private offices, conference rooms, training areas, and dining amenities for approximately 164 employees.

Radiance Technologies broke ground in July of 2018 on its new corporate headquarters in Huntsville, Ala. Located in Cummings Research Park West, the 100,000-sf facility will support the growth of business partnerships with the Department of Defense, NASA, and national intelligence organizations. Designed by Fuqua and Partners, the project will provide secure high bay space, a variety of classified and unclassified labs, and a 200-seat conference center. Completion is expected in late summer of 2019.

The Georgia Cyber Center opened the Hull McKnight Building in July of 2018. Located on the campus of Augusta University, the facility accommodates a cyber range, a 340-seat auditorium, offices for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Cyber Crime Unit, multi-institutional classrooms and computer labs, a business incubator, and demonstration space to showcase current research. A second structure, the Shaffer MacCartney Building, is slated for completion in December of 2018, creating a 332,000-sf complex that represents a total investment of $100 million.