Research and Development

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology opened the Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre (ERC) in November of 2011 in Oshawa. The 100,000-sf building provides space for instruction, training, and research in nuclear engineering and sustainable energy development. The $45.4 million facility houses administrative and faculty offices, research and teaching labs, a 72-seat lecture hall, a four-story atrium, and study space. Construction began on the project in November of 2009 and reached completion in August of 2011.

Virginia Tech opened the $105 million Infectious Disease Research Facility at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg in November of 2011. Construction began on the 16,000-sf BSL-2  facility in August of 2010. Also under construction is the $14.1 million, 33,000-sf Veterinary Medicine Instructional Addition. Work began on the building in July of 2011 and occupancy is expected in August of 2012. The facility will house faculty offices, teaching labs, and flexible instructional space.

The Institute for Animal Health will invest $126 million to build additional biocontainment laboratories in Pirbright in the United Kingdom. The project will support research in infectious diseases affecting poultry and livestock and will promote the development of diagnostic tools and vaccines. Occupancy is expected in 2016. The project represents a second phase of development at the Pirbright campus in addition to a $157 million biocontainment lab currently under construction and slated for occupancy in early 2014.

Pacific Northwest National Lab opened a research lab with extensive vibration and noise mitigation technologies in November of 2011 in Richland, Wash. The $7 million, 10,100-sf Quiet Wing was built as an addition to the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory and houses microscopes for fundamental science research. Comprising eight instrument cells, each built on an isolated slab, the facility features an advanced HVAC system to minimize variations in temperature and air pressure, epoxy-coated rebar for EMI mitigation, and an exterior wall of river rock.

The $12 million Centre Technologique en Aerospatiale (CTA) opened in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, in November of 2011. The facility houses laboratories and advanced instrumentation for aerospace research and development. The Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal will use the facility to study the management of aircraft at the end of their life cycle. 

Roche opened a $271 million pharmaceutical research and development facility in November of 2011 in Basel, Switzerland. The five-story building will support the creation of new formulations for active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as producing materials for clinical trials. 

The University of North Carolina will break ground on the $37 million PORTAL building in Charlotte in December of 2011. Housing the Charlotte Research Institute, the 95,000-sf project will house flexible research and development space, the Ben Craig Center business incubator, and a 10,000-sf information security facility. The construction manager for the project is Edifice of Charlotte. Occupancy is expected by early 2014.

CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) opened the Collaborative Biosecurity Research Facility in November of 2011. Located at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong, Victoria, the facility houses biocontainment research space for the study of infectious diseases and pathogens. The CBRF includes PC3 and PC4 laboratories, a dedicated training area, large and small animal suites, an insectary, and advanced microscopy equipment. The construction of the facility was supported by $8.5 million from the Australian government. 

Algonquin College opened the $79 million Centre for Construction Excellence in Ottawa in November of 2011. Designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects in collaboration with Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates, the 190,000-sf facility provides classrooms, studios, laboratories, and shops. The project is designed to function as a teaching laboratory for sustainable construction and comprises a five-story tower and a two-story wing.

Yeshiva University's Einstein College of Medicine opened the Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory in New York in November of 2011. The mission of the Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab is to understand how the brain function of individuals with disorders such as autism, attention deficit disorder, and childhood schizophrenia differs from that of their peers. The facility includes a new 5,000-sf lab with specialized rooms that allow researchers to control sound and other stimuli.

The Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering (JSNN) opened in Greensboro, N.C., in November of 2011. The $64 million project was created collaboratively by North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The facility was built by a joint venture of Samet Corp., Barton Mallow, and SRS Inc.

Novavax is expanding its operations in Gaithersburg, Md., with the long-term lease of 74,000 sf of manufacturing, lab, and office space in two buildings. The main facility will undergo renovation to become Novavax's primary commercial-scale plant for cGMP production of seasonal and pandemic VLP influenza vaccines. Completion is expected in mid-2012. The company's corporate headquarters will be relocated to the second building at the same campus.

The University of Queensland began building the $30 million Global Change Institute in November of 2011. Located in St Lucia, the energy and environmental science research facility will be certified by the Living Building Challenge for sustainable design. The building will be carbon and water neutral and will feature a passive heating and cooling system, a pneumatic roof, and an atrium with a living wall and a waterfall.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is planning to build an $80 million petascale supercomputer facility in Kensington, Western Australia. The project will provide computational research support for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder project and the Murchison Widefield Array radio astronomy telescopes, as well as accommodating research in geoscience, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. Construction will begin in 2012 and completion is expected in mid-2014.

The University of Glasgow is building the $14 million Beatson Translational Research Centre in Glasgow, Scotland. The four-story facility will provide laboratories for cancer research. Balfour Beatty Engineering Services is the mechanical and electrical services contractor. The building will feature a high efficiency chiller and air handling units with Econet heat recovery packages. The plant skids and modular risers will be manufactured offsite to support lean construction methodology. Completion is expected in summer of 2012.