Research and Development

Pacific Northwest National Lab began construction in March of 2020 on a $90 million energy sciences research building in Richland, Wash. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the collaborative 140,000-sf facility will enable academic, industry, and government investigators to create new energy and transportation technologies. Supporting fundamental research in chemistry, materials science, and computing, the building will include advanced instrumentation suites housing next-generation imaging and microscopy devices.

The University of Lincoln broke ground in March of 2020 on the Centre of Excellence in Agri-Food Technology in the United Kingdom. Supporting the development of new technologies and resources for the region's agribusiness sector, the building will provide microbiology and chemistry labs, a sophisticated test kitchen and sensory suite, seminar rooms, and collaboration spaces. Willmott Dixon was awarded the £7 million construction contract for the innovation center, which will accommodate a community of leading industrial scientists and their support teams.

The University of Arkansas is planning to build the $26.5 million Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation in Fayetteville. Designed by Grafton Architects in collaboration with Modus Studio, the project will provide the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design with approximately 50,000 sf of applied research and education space to accelerate the creation of innovative timber and wood construction modalities.

Crocker Partners is engaged in a $90 million redevelopment of a former IBM site to create the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC) in Florida. Designed to foster employee engagement and collaboration, the 1.7 million-sf complex will provide Class A office space for life science and technology companies. Sited on 123 acres, the facility will include a conference center with robust audiovisual infrastructure, a business center, a 7,000-sf fitness center, a yoga studio, a catering kitchen, and a 1,200-seat multipurpose dining hall.

A $2.2 trillion stimulus package will support the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) will be available to the agencies through September of 2024. The CDC will receive $4.3 billion in new funding, which includes $1.5 billion for joint initiatives with state and local governments. The NIH has been allocated $945.4 million, which will be directed to:

The University of South Florida broke ground on a $42 million innovation center in Tampa in March of 2020. Located in the USF Research Park, the 120,000-sf facility will provide researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners with leasable laboratory, office, and meeting facilities. Designed by Gensler, the three-story building will act as a catalyst for regional economic growth through the creation and commercialization of new technologies.

Westminster College is engaged in a $11.2 million expansion of the Hoyt Science Center in New Wilmington, Pa. Designed by BHDP Architecture, the 27,000-sf addition will provide six teaching labs, three research labs, ten faculty offices, and student collaboration spaces. The three-story wing will house the school's growing STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as the Center for the Environment. Ground was broken on the project in September of 2019 and occupancy is expected by summer of 2021.

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is building a £22 million nuclear fusion research facility in Rotherham. Supporting the creation of advanced joining materials and components, the 26,900-sf structure will feature specialized testing suites that simulate the conditions inside a fusion reactor. The center is being constructed in the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) to promote collaboration with the adjacent Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

The University of Technology Sydney is constructing the Science Research Building in New South Wales, Australia. Designed by H2o Architects, the integrated seven-story facility will provide flexible research labs for the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. Enabling collaborative discovery and development with industry partners, the interdisciplinary structure will feature specialized spaces for advanced analytics, chemical synthesis, phenomics, and translational medicine.

Georgia State University is planning to construct an $84 million research building in Atlanta for the study of global infectious diseases. Designed by HOK, the 84,100-sf biocontainment facility will provide BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs, a vivarium, collaborative open research areas, offices, and support space. A design-bid-build contractor is being sought for the project, which has an estimated construction cost of $66 million. The structure represents the third phase of development at the university's Science Park and is slated for completion in 2022.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the fourth quarter of 2019. Key points include:

Manchester Metropolitan University will begin construction in spring of 2021 on the £65 million Science and Engineering building in the United Kingdom. The seven-story academic facility will provide teaching and research labs, instructional spaces, a 200-seat super lab, academic offices, collaboration spaces, and self-directed learning areas. Designed as a living laboratory, the structure will house the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre and PrintCity, the university’s 3D additive and digital manufacturing technology hub.

Samsung Electronics broke ground in March of 2020 on a $220 million research and development center in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 860,000-sf facility will support the creation of innovative mobile devices and applications, as well as providing laboratories for the study of artificial intelligence, big data, the internet of things, and 5G technologies. Comprising 16 stories above ground and three floors below grade, the building will include a staff gym, a rooftop garden, and a clubhouse. Completion is expected in late 2022.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority opened the 47,360-sf Research and Development Centre in March of 2020. Located at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the United Arab Emirates, the four-story facility offers laboratories for the development of leading-edge technologies for solar power, smart grid integration, energy efficiency, and water management systems. Accelerating the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the center will enable the creation of innovative 3D printing and additive manufacturing modalities.

The University of Illinois at Chicago will begin construction in spring of 2021 on the $118 million Computer Design Research and Learning Center. Designed by Booth Hansen and LMN Architects, the 125,000-sf facility will provide flexible classrooms, lecture halls, dry research labs, design studios, faculty and staff offices, and collaboration areas.