The Sustainable Energy Technology Center (SENTEC) is under construction in Danville, Va. The $8 million, 26,000-sf building is located at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and is affiliated with Virginia Tech. The center was designed by Dewberry with Lord, Aeck & Sargent as laboratory planner and Perigon as engineer.
The Headquarters Air Force Drug Testing Laboratory opened at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas on June 30, 2011. The 22,000-sf analytical lab will provide forensic toxicology drug testing on Air Force personnel specimens. The laboratory is housed in an existing facility that underwent a $6.5 million renovation and expansion project.
The University of Winnipeg opened the 155,000-sf Science Complex and Richardson College for the Environment in June of 2011. The $67 million project features 30 research and teaching labs, classrooms, offices, a vivarium, a digital media lab, and a rooftop greenhouse. The facility houses the departments of biology, chemistry, and environmental studies. LEED certification will be sought for the building, which includes a four-story atrium with nine living trees. Ground was broken on the project in November of 2008.
The University of Edinburgh opened the $97 million Roslin Institute in June of 2011. Designed by HDR Architecture, the center houses animal health research and education facilities including the Scottish Agricultural College and the Royal Veterinary School. The building reflects the shape of a chromosome with strands of offices interwoven with strands of laboratories, connected by conference rooms and interaction spaces. The facility includes a 250-seat auditorium, a library, and a freezer archive.
National Instruments broke ground in June of 2011 on a 314,000-sf research, development, and operations facility in Bayan Lepas, Penang. The sustainably designed facility will include occupancy sensors, energy efficient lighting, and double-glazed Low-E glass for reduced heat gain. The building will feature an advanced HVAC interface created by Chiller Energy Management Systems that uses National Instruments' LabVIEW software platform. The facility will house 1,500 employees. Completion is expected in 2012.
The University of Missouri will break ground in early 2012 on a $45 million expansion of the Discovery Ridge Research Park in Columbia. The project will be built in phases and the first building has an estimated construction cost of $15 million. The completed three-building, 225,000-sf campus will provide mixed-use lab and office space for life science companies as well as supporting commercialization of research discoveries. The project is being developed by CarrBaierCrandall.
North Dakota State University dedicated the Beef Cattle Research Complex in June of 2011. Supporting research in animal nutrition and physiology, genetics, and food safety, the $3.3 million center includes accommodation for 192 cattle, a feed mixing and storing facility, a laboratory, and office space.
Pioneer Hi-Bred broke ground on a 26,000-sf crop research center in late June of 2011 in Kinston, N.C. The $2.3 million project will enable the DuPont subsidiary to create advanced agribusiness products including corn and soybean seeds suited to local soil conditions. Completion is expected in fall of 2011.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin completed construction of the $54 million Science and Technology Building in July of 2011. Housing the departments of chemistry, physics, biology, and computer science, the 100,000-sf facility will provide 32 research and teaching labs, 32 faculty offices, two 100-seat lecture halls, and one 200-seat lecture hall. Occupancy is expected in August of 2011.
Hunter Medical Research Institute is building a $90 million translational research facility in Rankin Park, New South Wales. The 172,000-sf building will house 450 biomedical and clinical researchers and is slated for occupancy in mid-2012.
Virginia Tech opened a 144,000-sf research facility in Arlington in July of 2011. The facility houses the Advanced Research Center, the Virginia Tech Bioinformatics Institute, and the Center for Geospatial Information Technology. The center’s proximity to federal government agencies and corporations will promote collaboration and the development of industry partnerships.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Research Support Facility has attained LEED Platinum sustainable design certification. Located in Golden, Colo., the 222,000-sf project achieved all 59 targeted LEED points, including those for site selection, energy, materials and resources, and innovation. This is the highest score of the 10 U.S. federal facilities that have earned the LEED Platinum rating for new construction. The RSF also had a perfect score in the energy category, achieving all 17 points.
United Therapeutics awarded DPR Construction a $49.9 million contract in June of 2011 to build an 180,000-sf facility on its existing campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C. The addition will provide manufacturing, packaging, labeling, and warehouse space. Completion is expected in 2012.
MSD (Merck Sharp Dohme) opened the Bioassay Centre of Expertise and the Pneumococcal Vaccine Conjugation Facility in June of 2011 in Brinny, Ireland. The facilities represent an investment of $41 million and will support the development, commercialization, and manufacture of vaccines and protein-based therapeutics.
A $4.5 billion renovation of the Pentagon is now complete. The 17-year design-build project included extensive reconstruction of the 6.5 million-sf facility, including reconfiguration to accommodate modern technology and communications systems. The completed Department of Defense headquarters will officially open in summer of 2011.
