Research and Development

Iowa State University's transgenic swine facility at Zumwalt Station Farm in Ames received an Award of Distinction from the Modular Building Institute in May of 2015. The 2,904-sf project was designed, manufactured, and installed by Art's Way Scientific. Supporting research on the genetic modification of domestic animals for agricultural and biomedical applications, the standalone facility incorporates biosafety features to protect a closed herd of swine.

St. Norbert College opened the renovated and expanded Gehl-Mulva Science Center in May of 2015 in De Pere, Wis. Supporting programs in physics, math, psychology, geology, biology, and chemistry, the completed 160,000-sf facility provides 45 teaching and research labs, 10 classrooms, a large lecture hall, 15 study lounges, and 38 faculty offices. The $40 million project included a multi-level expansion of the existing structure with construction of additions at the east and west ends.

Purdue University is planning to build the $60 million Agricultural and Life Sciences Facility complex in West Lafayette, Ind. The 123,000-gsf project will provide consolidated teaching and research space for the Department of Animal Sciences. Construction will begin in February of 2016 with occupancy expected in July of 2017. Purdue will also construct the $8.8 million Centaur Regional Equine Diagnostic and Surgical Center in Shelbyville which will house academic space for the College of Veterinary Medicine as well as providing health services to horses.

North Central College broke ground in May of 2015 on a $60 million science center in Naperville, Ill. Housing the departments of biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, and psychology, the four-story, 125,000-sf interdisciplinary building will support progressive pedagogies for STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math).

The University of Vermont broke ground on a $104 million STEM education complex in Burlington in May of 2015. Designed by Ellenzweig and Freeman French Freeman, the two-building, 266,000-sf facility will support programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The phased project will include construction of the Discovery Building, providing teaching and research labs, followed by the Innovation Building, which will house classrooms and meeting rooms. Lastly, the existing engineering facility will undergo a complete renovation.

The National University of Singapore opened a 7,000-sf biosafety laboratory for the study of infectious diseases in May of 2015. The BSL-3 facility is located at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine's Centre for Translational Medicine and will support the development of new diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies.

General Motors began construction in May of 2015 on a $1 billion expansion and renovation project in Warren, Mich. Built in the 1950s, the Warren Technical Center will be redesigned to provide collaborative office and research space for product development. Featuring new design studios and testing areas, the project also includes construction of a multi-story information technology facility on the 326-acre campus. Completion is expected in 2018.

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is initiating an expansion of Building 887 to accommodate neutrino detection experiments in Prévessin, France. The general contractor for the 38,750-sf project is OMBA Impianti & Engineering and the value of the construction contract is $10.3 million. Completion of the building, including specialized foundations, steel structures, and facades, is expected in February of 2016.

Novo Nordisk began construction in May of 2015 on a $223 million pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Kalundborg, Denmark. The 81,000-sf project will support the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients for hemophelia treatments. The plant is expected to be fully operational by 2020.

Northwestern University broke ground on the Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center in Chicago in May of 2015. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 14-story, 600,000-sf facility will support collaborative research on cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and genetics for the Feinberg School of Medicine. The Biomedical Research Center will house nine laboratory floors of approximately 45,000 sf each with integrated offices for principal investigators.

The University of Texas at Tyler broke ground on the $26.5 million W.T. Brookshire Hall in late April of 2014. The three-story, 60,000-sf facility will house the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy. Designed to encourage student-faculty interaction and support innovative pedagogies, the project will provide flexible classrooms, research labs, skills training suites, offices, and study areas. Completion is expected in May of 2015.

The University of Delaware celebrated the opening of the newly renovated Lasher Laboratory in April of 2015. The BSL-2 facility is located in the Elbert N. and Ann V. Carvel Research and Education Center in Georgetown and supports research on the detection and diagnosis of avian diseases including avian influenza. Supported by $4 million in state funding, the project was completed in December of 2014 and included new MEP, fire, and life safety systems as well as significant improvements to the building envelope.

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is planning to renovate a 67,000-sf animal research facility in Silver Spring, Md. Constructed in 1972 to provide biomedical laboratories and vivarium space for large and small animals, Building 511 will be extensively upgraded with new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and building automation systems. New wall, floor, and ceiling finishes will be installed as well as vibration mitigation technologies for specialized research equipment.

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) is planning a $75 million mouse production facility in Ellsworth, Maine. The project involves the complete renovation of an existing 143,000-sf building to create advanced vivarium space for the breeding and housing of mice for genetic research. The facility will consolidate all of JAX’s East Coast production operations in a single location, enabling the company’s Bar Harbor campus to provide additional research, education, and conference space.

Purdue University is initiating three construction projects for the College of Engineering in West Lafayette, Ind. Work will begin in 2016 on an $8.2 million expansion of the Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories to create a 9,600-sf research suite featuring five new test cells supporting laser-based measurement. Other projects include the $54 million, 75,000-sf Flex Lab, a multidisciplinary, team-based research facility, and the Innovation Design Center, a 24-hour student project building featuring CAD labs and collaboration areas.