Research and Development

Texas A&M University officially opened the $100 million Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building in College Station in September of 2009. Construction began on the 220,000-sf biomedical research facility in 2006. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which houses over 30 laboratories, a 285-seat auditorium, and core facilities including the Microscopy and Imaging Center, the X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory, and the Laboratory for Biological Mass Spectrometry.

The University of North Carolina Asheville dedicated the $24 million Zeis Hall in September of 2009. Housing the departments of biology, chemistry, and multimedia arts, the four-story, 86,000-sf facility provides classrooms and teaching and research laboratories.

The University of South Alabama broke ground on the $40 million Shelby Hall Engineering and Computing Sciences Building in Mobile in September of 2009. The 155,000-sf facility will house multimedia classrooms, teaching and research labs, and chemical and biochemical laboratory facilities. The general contractor for the project is Elkins Constructors of Jacksonville, Fla. Completion is expected in September of 2011.

Wayne State University broke ground on the $37 million A. Paul Schaap Chemistry Building and Lecture Hall in Detroit in September of 2009. Representing the second phase of a comprehensive $42 million expansion and renovation of the existing Chemistry Building, the project involves the creation of 96,000-sf of open plan laboratory space. Harley Ellis Devereaux provided architectural and engineering services, and DeMaria Building Co. is the general contractor. LEED Silver certification for sustainable design will be sought for the facility.

The University at Buffalo broke ground in September of 2009 on the 147,000-sf School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Named John Kapoor Hall, the $62 million facility was designed by S/L/A/M Collaborative to provide teaching and research facilities for pharmaceutical science and practice. Located on the South Campus in downtown Buffalo, N.Y., the building will be part of the planned UB Academic Health Center.

Genzyme Corp. initiated construction in September of 2009 on a $100 million R&D Center in Beijing. The 200,000-sf facility will accommodate 350 employees engaged in biologics and gene therapy research. Completion is expected in 2011.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School broke ground on the $405 million Albert Sherman Center in Worcester in September of 2009. The nine-story, 500,000-sf facility is slated for completion by early 2012. Designed by Architectural Resources Cambridge, the project will house advanced biomedical research laboratories, a 500-seat auditorium, the UMass Gene Therapy Center, and the UMass Center for Stem Cell Biology.

The University of Colorado broke ground in September of 2009 on the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building in Boulder. The construction cost of the 257,000-sf facility is estimated at between $120 million and $145 million. Designed to foster interdisciplinary biomedical research, the Biotechnology Building will house scientists from eight departments. Occupancy is stated for fall of 2011. An additional 54,000-sf wing may be built in a second construction phase.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) officially broke ground on its disaster safety research center in September of 2009. Located in Chester County, S.C., the laboratory will enable researchers to subject structures such as homes, light commercial construction, and agricultural buildings to a variety of hazards, including realistic Category 3 hurricanes, wind-blown fire, and hailstorms. The $40 million multi-peril research facility is funded entirely by property insurance companies, reinsurers, and brokers.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst dedicated the $114.5 million Integrated Sciences Building in September of 2009. The 157,000-sf facility houses 85,000-sf of laboratory and classroom space, a 300-seat auditorium, interaction areas, and advanced imaging suites. The sustainably-designed project promotes interdisciplinary teaching and research by integrating the life, chemical, and physical sciences. Construction of the four-story facility was completed in January of 2009.

The University of Akron broke ground on the $13.2 million National Polymer Innovation Center in September of 2009 in Akron, Ohio. The 42,750-sf facility will house ten technology-rich laboratories and high bay space for the development of advanced materials. The National Polymer Innovation Center will enable faculty, students, and industry partners to engage in biomaterials synthesis, biosensors and biodevices design, and photovoltaic and membrane fabrication. Completion is expected in June of 2010.

The University of California, San Diego broke ground on two laboratory facilities at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla in September of 2009. Supported by over $100 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the 120,000-sf National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center is expected to reach completion in 2011. Additionally, construction will begin in early 2011 on a $26 million research facility for marine ecosystem forecasting.

The University of Georgia dedicated the $44 million Pharmacy South facility in Athens in September of 2009. The 93,288-sf building represents an expansion of the College of Pharmacy and houses large teaching auditoriums, technology-rich classrooms, two research labs, a student learning center, sterile products rooms, two pharmacies, and a conference room. Ground was broken on the project in November of 2007. The facility attained LEED Silver certification for sustainable design.

The University of British Columbia is planning to construct a $133.3 million pharmaceutical sciences building in Vancouver, Canada. The 18,382-sm facility will house classrooms, research laboratories, and the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD). LEED Gold certification for sustainable design will be sought for the project. Occupancy is slated for 2010.

Bristol University opened the £11 million Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information in the United Kingdom in September of 2009. Featuring laboratories with extremely low vibration, acoustic noise, and air movement, the four-story project began construction in October of 2006. The project team included designer Capita Architecture, contractor Willmott Dixon, and project manager Capita Symonds.