High Tech

Construction began in December of 2015 on the $71.4 million Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center in Kissimmee. Created by the University of Central Florida in collaboration with Osceola County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, the 109,000-sf facility will house the world’s first industry-led smart sensor consortium. Featuring a flexible cleanroom with adaptable walls and flooring, the project will provide a semiconductor foundry, a design center, and labs for the development of new technologies using integrated circuits.

AMS AG (formerly Austriamicrosystem) will begin construction in spring of 2016 on a 360,000-sf wafer fab in Marcy, N.Y. Located on the 428-acre Nano Utica site, the project will support the production of analog devices on 200mm to 300mm wafers. Constructed by Fort Schuyler Management, the development will include office buildings and support space for a total buildout of approximately 600,000 sf. Production is expected to begin in late 2017.

Using a phased, core-and-shell strategy to construct the 310,000-gsf Life Science Laboratories (LSL) building allowed the University of Massachusetts Amherst to obtain high-level research space and take advantage of the competitive bid market and economic incentives available in 2010. The approach also provided economies of scale and the advantage of postponing programming and occupancy decisions with subsequent fit-outs.

Apple is planning to build a four-story, 269,000-sf research and development facility in Yokohama, Japan. Constructed on the site of a former Panasonic factory in Tsunashima-higashi, the sustainably designed project will feature highly efficient building systems, water recycling technologies, and a green roof. Construction is expected to commence by the end of 2015 with completion in 2016.

Stony Brook University is planning to build the $62 million Innovation and Discovery Center in the 246-acre Research and Development Park in Stony Brook, N.Y. Designed by Mitchell Giurgola Architects, the 200,000-gsf business incubator will provide laboratory and office space for innovative biotechnology and high-tech companies. Construction will begin in spring of 2016 and completion is expected within three years.

Apple is planning to invest $2 billion to develop a global data center headquarters in Mesa, Ariz. The project involves building out an existing 1.3 million-sf manufacturing facility and the completed structure will be powered entirely by sustainable energy sources.

The kind of technology prevalent in today’s health sciences education requires a robust infrastructure that must be figured into a facility’s design during the budgeting and planning stages. Virtual simulation, virtual anatomy, tablet computers, 3-D stereographic display, software tools for collaboration, and touch interaction with LCD monitors—even the tried-and-true classroom technology, such as whiteboards, videoconferencing, telephone conferencing, dual-image large screen projection, large screen LCD monitors, and connectivity for personal devices—all require thoughtful consideration.

The University of Connecticut began construction in June of 2015 on the 119,000-sf Innovation Partnership Building in Storrs. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the $170 million project will provide flexible laboratories to support collaborative R&D with industry partners in advanced manufacturing, materials science, cyber infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.

IBM opened a 21,000-sf commercial technology R&D facility in Nairobi in November of 2013. The lab will house researchers leveraging powerful analytical tools, such as cognitive computing systems, to develop solutions to Africa's unique challenges for energy, healthcare, agriculture, water, transportation, and public safety. The facility is located at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and features a dynamic cloud-enabled computing hub.

Samsung Research America broke ground in October of 2013 on its new research and development campus in Mountain View, Calif. The 385,000-sf project includes two six-story office buildings and will be constructed to attain a minimum of LEED Gold sustainable design certification. Occupancy is expected in December of 2014. Samsung Research America is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics is investing $4.4 million to build five new research and development facilities in South Korea. The R5 campus in Suwon will include two centers, a smart device research lab and a materials and components development building. A $1.1 million facility in southern Seoul will accommodate approximately 10,000 designers, software developers, and strategists engaged in the maximization of research productivity.

The State University of New York Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) broke ground on the $125 million Computer Chip Commercialization Center in June of 2013. The three-story, 200,000-sf facility will provide research laboratories, classrooms, offices, and a 50,000-sf nanotechnology cleanroom. Located in Marcy, N.Y., the facility is created in partnership with the University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering (CNSE) and will foster collaborative research and development with industry partners.

The average lifespan of a building is 60 years, but the forces that drive the workplace may change as often as every six months. The challenge, whether for new construction or renovation, is to design a workplace that will adapt to a fluctuating timetable of changes in technology, business goals, and the workforce. The keys to success are a flexible workplace and a strong change management process.

The Performance Guaranteed Facility (PGF) model is a relatively new type of public/private partnership that allows the occupants to own a building the moment construction begins, while private-sector partners commit to its design, construction, financing, and ongoing maintenance, including future rehabilitation. The model goes by different names, but the concept involves an interactive partnership designed to benefit all parties for the long term.

Ohio State University is creating three-dimensional models of its existing buildings as part of a comprehensive plan to address space management needs and to make informed decisions regarding renovation, construction, and maintenance projects.