Engineering

VEGA, a global manufacturer of process measurement technologies, will begin construction in early 2020 on a $50 million headquarters complex in Mason, Ohio. Sited on 50 acres, the 230,000-sf campus will include advanced manufacturing and production facilities, corporate offices, and a state-of-the-art business and training center. The project team includes BHDP Architecture and construction manager Messer Construction. Occupancy is expected in 2021.

Eli Lilly & Company is planning to build a $474 million pharmaceutical manufacturing center in Durham, N.C. Located in Research Triangle Park, the next-generation facility will produce injectable therapeutics and delivery devices for conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. Accommodating over 450 new employees, the project will provide integrated manufacturing, engineering, and warehouse areas. Operations will commence at the site in 2023.

Aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin opened its new headquarters and research facility in January of 2020 in Kent, Wash. Designed to accommodate approximately 1,500 employees, the 232,885-sf O'Neill Building provides open offices, R&D labs, conference rooms, a staff lounge and kitchen, and an expansive gathering space adjoining the lobby to encourage collaboration and interaction. Supporting the company's recent growth, the structure is sited on over 30 acres adjacent to Blue Origin's former headquarters, which has been renamed the Verne Building.

Southern New Hampshire University opened the 67,000-sf College of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics in January of 2020 in Manchester, N.H. Accommodating STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the three-story building provides flexible teaching labs, collaboration spaces, a drone flight area, a wind tunnel, a 3D printing lab, a wood shop, and suites for robotics, virtual reality, and materials science.

Pennsylvania State University is planning to build the $56.8 million Center for Innovation, Making and Learning in State College. The project will include the demolition of the existing James Building and construction of an 85,000-sf facility accommodating maker spaces, workshops, a virtual reality and immersive technology lab, lecture venues, and co-working and collaboration areas.

The University of Cincinnati is constructing the 180,000-sf Digital Futures Building in the Uptown Innovation Corridor. Designed by KieranTimberlake with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the interdisciplinary facility will provide applied research labs for the creation of innovative robotic, automotive, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies.

Siemens Mobility Limited is planning to build a rail innovation campus in Goole in the United Kingdom. Designed by Arup and AHR, the 860,000-sf complex will include a £200 million manufacturing center and the Rail Accelerator and Innovation Solutions Hub for Enterprise (RaisE) to support collaborative research with academic and industry partners. The first phase of RaisE's construction comprises a £6 million, 34,400-sf structure providing offices, labs, and support space. Production is expected to begin at the site in 2023.

Arizona State University broke ground in January of 2020 on a $73.5 million digital innovation campus in Mesa. Designed by Holly Street Studio and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the 118,000-sf facility will accommodate programs in digital and sensory technology, media arts, experiential design, gaming, and film production for the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Trinity College Dublin will begin construction in mid-2020 on the Martin Naughton E3 Learning Foundry in Ireland. Supporting a project-based pedagogy for STEM education, the $67 million interdisciplinary facility will offer interactive learning spaces and laboratories for the Engineering, Environment and Emerging Technologies Institute. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios to promote collaboration and innovation, the six-story, 78,102-sf building will be shared by the schools of engineering, natural sciences, and computer science and statistics.

The Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult opened the Catapult Innovation Centre in December of 2019 in Newport, Wales. Designed as a locus for the region’s growing high-tech industry, the facility provides sophisticated cleanrooms, a design studio, open-plan offices, a boardroom, conference and breakout rooms, a collaborative amphitheater, an advanced packaging suite, and R&D labs for photonics, radio frequencies, and power electronics.

Gannon University is building the Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge (I-HACK) in Erie, Pa. The $20 million project involves the renovation and expansion of an existing six-story tower to accommodate leading-edge programs in cybersecurity, cyber engineering, healthcare systems, computer-based applications, and business management. The first $13 million construction phase includes the creation of an entrance lobby on the first floor, with the second floor accommodating the Pierre McCormick Cyber Learning Center.

The University of Strathclyde is renovating Wolfson Hall to house its department of biomedical engineering. Designed by McLean Architects and Wellwood Leslie Architects, the £15.5 million project will create new teaching and research labs, flexible instructional venues, engaging spaces for interaction and collaboration, and additional offices for faculty, staff, and graduate students.

George Mason University is planning to build a digital innovation campus in Arlington, Va. Creating a collaborative hub for research, education, and entrepreneurship, the project includes the demolition of an existing structure and the construction of a 360,500-gsf mixed-use facility and parking garage. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering, the $200 million building will house the School of Computing, the Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA), and corporate R&D labs with co-working spaces.

The University of California, Davis has selected Wexford Science + Technology and GMH Capital Partners to develop the first phase of Aggie Square in Sacramento. The two firms will finance, design, construct, and own the facilities, which will include 250,000 sf of classroom and co-working space, 500,000 sf of engineering, science, and technology space, 30,000 sf of ground-floor public space, and approximately 200 housing units.

Stevens Institute of Technology opened the $68 million Gateway Academic Center in December of 2019 in Hoboken, N.J. Designed by WRT, the 89,500-sf teaching and research facility is comprised of two buildings connected by a glass skybridge. The four-story complex provides 10 technology-rich classrooms, 13 labs, 45 faculty offices, conference rooms, reception halls, areas for student organizations, and multipurpose flex spaces.