Biocontainment

More and more universities are building their scientific research centers around cores of huge, heavy, yet surprisingly delicate equipment. Building a core laboratory facility forces architects and campus planners to think about logistics, timing, and backup systems to a level of detail probably more familiar to NASA engineers than institutional architects. As the team behind Emory University’s new Health Sciences Research Building II (HSRB-II) learned, a huge range of factors—in their case, everything from the amount of rebar in the flooring to the width of the corridors to shipping velocity on the Suez Canal—must be reckoned with before such a facility is completed.

Southern Research opened a $98 million biotechnology center in August of 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama. Designed by HOK and Williams Blackstock Architects, the 150,000-sf building will advance research crucial to human health and address pressing biomedical threats. The five-level structure features BSL-3 laboratories spanning 7,500 sf that provide essential biocontainment capacity for the study of infectious diseases.

The University of Sydney celebrated the beginning of construction on the AU$780 million Sydney Biomedical Accelerator in May of 2025. Created in partnership with the Government of New South Wales and Sydney Local Health District, the 387,500-sf structure will forge a vital link between the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the university's Camperdown campus.

The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais) is constructing Orion, a BSL-4 laboratory complex in Campinas. Enabling the detection, study, and mitigation of pathogens and infectious disease agents, the USD185 million project will reinforce national sovereignty in response to current and future health crises and promote collaboration with the global scientific community.

University of Chicago Medicine is constructing the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion to catalyze high-impact research programs and reimagine the spectrum of patient care. CannonDesign is partnering with Yazdani Studio and Blue Cottage on the $815 million project, which will be the first freestanding structure in Illinois dedicated solely to cancer treatment and research. Teams of clinicians, investigators, and physician-scientists will come together to optimize patient outcomes.

Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed), home to North America’s largest baboon population dedicated to research, has opened a new primate research facility focused on animal welfare, human safety, and operational efficiency as guiding principles. The new Animal Care Complex (ACC) includes three modular breeding and holding facilities, each with a capacity of up to 300 animals of multiple species. The spacious facility has five indoor rooms which range from 400 to 800 sf, and outdoor yards as big as 5,500 sf. 

Allentown, a premier provider of animal housing solutions, is partnering with The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) to launch a revolutionary home-cage mouse monitoring system powered by AI and machine learning (ML). This strategic collaboration is designed to accelerate preclinical research and improve the translatability of preclinical readouts to clinical applications.

MilliporeSigma, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, opened a $317.2 million facility in Rockville in October of 2024. Located in the Alexandria Center at Traville Gateway, the 260,000-sf building provides advanced laboratories for biosafety testing, analytical development, viral clearance, and cell bank manufacturing. The project represents the company's largest investment to date in contract testing operations.

Texas Tech University opened the $112.5 million Academic Sciences Building in Lubbock in August of 2024. Enhancing the student experience with new venues for active learning and exchange, the 130,000-sf facility was designed by BGK Architects and EYP Architecture & Engineering (now a Page company). The three-story structure provides teaching and laboratory space for five departments: chemistry and biochemistry, physics and astronomy, biological sciences, geosciences, and psychological sciences.

The State of Missouri broke ground in June of 2024 on a $151 million project that will collocate five agencies in one integrated location. Designed by Multistudio, the 208,000-sf facility will provide laboratories and support spaces for the departments of agriculture, natural resources, conservation, and health and senior services, as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol. This centralized hub will enhance operational efficiencies by creating an ecosystem of resources that will optimize the delivery of analytical services.

The University of Southern California is planning to break ground in late 2024 on the $315 million Discovery and Translational Hub on its Health Sciences Campus in Los Angeles. Designed by SmithGroup, the seven-story, 250,000-gsf building will provide advanced biomedical research environments in a ratio of 75 percent wet lab to 25 percent dry lab. Sited atop two additional levels of subterranean shell space, the 150,00-asf facility will include collaboration areas, offices, meeting venues, a biorepository, and a core lab for medicinal chemistry.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette began construction in June of 2024 on a significant expansion of the New Iberia Research Center, the nation's largest facility for nonhuman primates. Creating an onsite BSL-3 laboratory for the study of infectious diseases and select agents, the $25 million project will enable the development of novel vaccines, diagnostics, and mitigation solutions. Paul J.

WACKER opened the mRNA Competence Center in June of 2024 in Halle an der Saale, Germany. Representing an investment of over €100 million, the next-generation facility enables the large-scale production of active ingredients based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). The building spans a total floor area of 79,653 sf and accommodates four new lines supported by advanced infrastructure, including 17,222 sf of glass-enclosed cleanroom space for bioprocessing under controlled conditions. 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center began construction in June of 2024 on the Applied Gene and Cell Therapy Center in Sharonville, Ohio. The $60 million project will transform an existing structure into a catalyst for innovative clinical trials. Designed by BHDP Architecture, the 111,000-sf facility will advance the development, testing, and manufacture of new medicines and biological therapies.

Sanofi opened a 20,000-sf biomanufacturing center in May of 2024 in Toronto. Producing adult and pediatric vaccines for pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus, the project significantly increases capacity to meet growing demand in Canada and around the world. The next-generation facility features advanced bioprocessing suites supported by highly efficient infrastructure. Commissioning is currently under way, with full operations slated to commence in mid-2025.