Research and Development

ABB is planning to construct a $30 million manufacturing center in San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy. The 172,200-sf facility will support the production of direct-current battery chargers for electric vehicles. Accelerating the company's growth and innovation in the electromobility sector, the sustainably designed project will leverage highly efficient building systems and rooftop photovoltaic arrays to achieve optimal energy performance and reduce carbon emissions.

Codiak BioSciences is constructing a 12,000-sf clinical manufacturing center in Lexington, Mass. The project includes the build-out of a leased lab and office building to create a GMP facility for the production of exosome therapeutics. Codiak is incorporating G-CON Manufacturing's PODs into the center to provide flexible cleanroom capacity. The prefabricated units offer exceptional scalability and mobility, and can be easily repurposed to meet future needs.

Drexel University is partnering with Wexford Science+Technology to create the Drexel Academic Tower in Philadelphia. Construction began in July of 2020 on the structure, which will provide Drexel with 450,000 sf of rented space in the University City district. The College of Nursing and Health Professions will be located in the building, with classes beginning in fall of 2022.

16 Tech Community Corporation opened the $50 million Innovation Building 1 in August of 2020 in Indianapolis. Developed by Browning, the 120,000-sf facility was constructed by Davis & Associates and is now fully leased. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute is occupying 67,000 sf on the first three floors of the building. The five-story structure will accommodate the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, as well as providing 12,000 sf of research space for Indiana University's Center for Regenerative Medicine.

CRISPR Therapeutics signed a full-building lease in July of 2020 for a 263,500-sf facility in Boston's Seaport district. Breakthrough Properties is the developer for the project, which was designed by Payette to provide best-in-class laboratory environments for life science research. Both LEED Gold and Fitwel certification will be sought for the structure, which will offer multiple amenities including outdoor terraces and a fitness center.

Saint Louis University opened the $50 million Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Building in August of 2020 in St. Louis. Designed by Hastings+Chivetta with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the three-story, 90,000-sf facility features a full-height atrium, 10,000 sf of research space, and an active learning classroom that can accommodate up to 210 students.

Lincoln Property Company broke ground in July of 2020 on a 140,000-sf life science building in Waltham, Mass. Designed by DiMella Shaffer in collaboration with AHA Consulting Engineers, the four-story structure will offer 35,000 sf of flexible and customizable office and laboratory space on each floor. A robust mechanical penthouse will support the installation of sophisticated infrastructure, and highly resilient energy and telecommunications services will be ensured by an onsite emergency power supply.

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is planning to create the Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Braintree in the United Kingdom. Supported by £100 million in government funding, the project will enable mass production of a COVID-19 vaccine. An existing pharmaceutical plant has been purchased from Benchmark Holdings at a cost of £16 million. The structure's GMP infrastructure for antigen production, formulation, process development, and scale manufacturing will be repurposed and enhanced. Completion is expected in December of 2021.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is planning to construct the $86 million Integrated Engineering Research Center in Batavia, Ill. Designed by Perkins+Will with Arup as consulting engineer, the collaborative 80,000-sf structure will collocate engineers, technicians, and scientists at the core of Fermi's campus. Supporting advanced programs in particle physics, the flexible facility will provide reconfigurable labs, offices, design studios, and testing suites.

DiNAQOR AG completed construction in July of 2020 on a 9,687-sf R&D center in Schlieren, Switzerland. Located in the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zürich, the BSL-2 facility will enable DiNAQOR to fast-track the development of its human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and engineered heart tissue platform. Accelerating the creation of next-generation genetic medicine methodologies, the project also provides sophisticated infrastructure to further optimize the company's proprietary locoregional heart perfusion approach.

The Aerospace Corporation will break ground in fall of 2020 on a $100 million research and development center in Colorado. Located adjacent to the company's existing campus in Colorado Springs, the three-story, 90,000-sf structure will provide classified facilities for the design and deployment of resilient space architecture. Featuring a multipurpose technology center, the project will support acquisition, testing, and evaluation activities, as well as the development of tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Cleveland Clinic Florida opened the 107,000-sf Florida Research & Innovation Center in July of 2020 in Port St. Lucie. Accelerating the translation of medical discoveries into innovative therapeutics for clinical treatment, the facility will provide leading-edge laboratories for research programs in immuno-oncology and infectious diseases, such as Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2. The center includes BSL-3 biocontainment suites, administrative offices, meeting rooms, and an area for training programs. 

California Polytechnic State University is constructing the $125 million William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The four-story, 103,800-sf facility will collocate the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

Winstanley Enterprises is planning to build a $100 million bioscience research building in New Haven, Conn. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the 10-story, 500,000-sf facility will provide leasable laboratory and office environments for life science companies and academic institutions. Featuring a large public plaza, the project will include a conference center, a 50,000-sf business incubator, and a classroom for K-12 educational programs.

Songbird Life Science has launched a COVID-19 testing and health-protection service for facilities. Promoting public confidence in the occupancy of shared spaces, the company offers rapid onsite testing that provides results in minutes.