Research and Development

Florida International University dedicated its $34 million College of Nursing and Health Sciences facility in Miami in February of 2010. The five-story, 100,000-sf building consolidates the university’s health sciences programs in a single location to support collaborative teaching and research. Designed by HOK, the facility is comprised of two wings and features simulation training suites, interactive skills laboratories, lecture classrooms, distance learning facilities, conference rooms, wet research labs, computer suites, and evaluation areas.

The University of California Riverside celebrated the opening of the Stem Cell Core Facility (SCCF) in February of 2010. Located in Noel Keen Hall, the 2,000-sf facility features a Nikon BioStation CT incubator and advanced microscopy instrumentation. The project was funded by $2.8 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The University of Colorado is building the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building in Boulder. Ground was broken on the interdisciplinary project in September of 2009 with completion expected in fall of 2011. The cost of the first phase of construction is $145 million. The 257,000-sf research and teaching facility will house the department of chemical and biological engineering, the biochemistry division of the department of chemistry and biochemistry, and the Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology (CIMB).

The Exploration Sciences Building at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center was awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification in February of 2010. The 200,000-sf facility is located in Greenbelt, Md., and houses nearly 60 laboratories. The project team included architectural firm EwingCole of Philadelphia and Manhattan Construction Company of Washington, D.C. Construction began in June of 2007 and was completed in 29 months.

West Virginia University broke ground on a $33 million renovation of White Hall in Morgantown in February of 2010. Creating a rooftop planetarium, two 175-seat technology-rich classrooms, and laboratories for teaching and research, the completed project will house the relocated Department of Physics. Demolition began in early 2010 with occupancy expected in fall of 2011.

South Dakota State University is building the $51 million Avera Health and Science Center in Brookings, S.D. Created in partnership with Avera Health, the 144,000-sf project is comprised of 96,000 sf of new construction and 48,000 sf of renovated space. Housing the College of Pharmacy and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the center will provide classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, and faculty offices. Construction began on the project in June of 2008. The facility will open in fall of 2010.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine was awarded $15 million in stimulus funding from the National Institutes of Health in February of 2010 to construct a 22,000-sf animal research laboratory in Phoenix. Housing 33 researchers and staff members, the underground facility will be located on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. The project will be built in partnership with Arizona State University and will include a vivarium for rats and mice. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

DuPont opened the Meyrin Photovoltaic Application Laboratory in February of 2010 at its European Technical Center in Geneva. The R&D facility will support the development of next-generation photovoltaic products and technologies. Designed to promote collaboration between customers, industry partners, and academia, the laboratory will advance solar module design and accelerate product development.

The University of Miami was awarded $14.8 million in stimulus funding from the National Institutes of Health in February of 2010 to construct a neuroscience and health annex on its campus in Coral Gables, Fla. The 37,700-sf facility will provide advanced interdisciplinary research laboratories, including an fMRI suite. Built as an addition to the James M. Cox Jr. Science Center within the College of Arts and Sciences, the facility will support collaborative research with the Miller School of Medicine. Completion is expected in 2012.

Idaho National Laboratory is planning to break ground in spring of 2010 on four new facilities in Idaho Falls. Creating an integrated complex, the buildings will include a research and education laboratory, a testing demonstration center, a second building for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), and a cafeteria.

Auburn University officially broke ground on its $21 million Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center on February 4, 2010. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 45,000-sf facility is slated for completion in September of 2010. The construction manager for the project is Brasfield & Gorrie LLC. The MRI Research Center will feature a Siemens Verio open-bore 3T MRI and an actively shielded whole-body 7T MRI. The Verio 3T MRI will be used for clinical and research applications and the 7T MRI will be dedicated solely to research.

The University of Washington will begin construction in July of 2010 on the $96 million Veterinary Medical Research Building in Pullman.  The 128,875-sf building will provide research facilities for at least 32 faculty members. Completion is expected in 2012.

Hampton University was awarded $8 million in stimulus funding from the National Institutes of Health in February of 2010 to construct a biomedical research center in Hampton, Va. The facility will house research space for the school’s programs in science, pharmacy, and nursing, as well as the existing Center for Advanced Medical Instrumentation. Construction will begin on the 20,000-sf center in spring of 2010.

Gulf Coast Community College is planning to break ground in summer of 2010 on the $30 million Advanced Technology Center in Panama City, Fla. The four-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide flexible, collaborative research space for students and community businesses. Completion is slated for fall of 2012. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which will feature a green roof, photovoltaic panels, and wind turbines.

The University of Louisiana opened its new animal research facility in Monroe in February of 2010. Providing research space for the College of Pharmacy, the $3 million facility houses mice and rats used in pharmacological and toxicological testing. The laboratory features 10 to 15 air changes per hour in the animal suites, automatic light timers, and a steam sterilization unit for equipment.