Research and Development

Laboratories that handle potentially hazardous or flammable chemicals present a unique challenge for facilities managers charged with providing a safe work environment for students, faculty, and researchers. Jonathan Eisenberg, a fire protection engineer and associate principal in the Boston office of the global engineering and consulting firm Arup, has identified a number of focus areas, ranging from items you might expect (using the appropriate fire suppression methods), to those you might overlook (ensuring that the humidity level is high enough so that people don’t generate sparks from static electricity). It’s important for facilities managers to understand each of the potential risks and to take steps to mitigate them with careful planning, adherence to basic fire safety principles, and the application of recently developed tools and techniques.

Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine opened a $423 million medical research and treatment complex in November of 2018 in Stony Brook, N.Y. The 475,000-sf project included construction of the $193 million Medical and Research Translation (MART) building, an eight-story, 250,000-sf facility providing wet labs for the study of cancer biology, dry labs for biomedical informatics and statistical research, and a conference center with a 300-seat auditorium.

Boston University will begin construction in spring of 2020 on the 350,000-sf Data Sciences Center. The 17-story facility will be located on the Charles River Campus and will collocate the departments of statistics, mathematics, and computer science. The center will feature terraced platforms with whiteboard walls and a collaboration ramp to promote interaction and innovation. The structure is comprised of a four-story podium topped by 13 floors, with MEP systems located in additional basement and penthouse levels.

Emory University will begin construction in fall of 2019 on a $260 million biomedical research facility in Atlanta. Designed by HOK, the 300,000-sf facility will provide labs and offices for researchers engaged in the study of immunology, neurology, oncology, cardiology, and biomedical imaging. The project represents an expansion of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and may include an animal research vivarium and a cage wash. Occupancy is expected in December of 2021. 

The University of Michigan-Flint broke ground in October of 2018 on a 65,000-sf expansion of the William R. Murchie Science Building. Creating a third wing, the $39 million project will accommodate expanded STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The collaborative facility will provide faculty and student research labs, engineering labs, a robotics lab, and four interactive classrooms with flexible seating. Completion is expected in July of 2021.

Octapharma celebrated the opening of a $27 million pharmaceutical R&D facility on its Vienna campus in October of 2018. Designed by ATP to provide optimal flexibility, the six-story, 68,470-gsf structure offers 48,438 assignable square feet of laboratory, office, meeting, and collaboration space. The sustainable facility utilizes advanced building systems with heat recovery technologies. Octapharma is also constructing a $45 million pilot plant at the site which is slated for completion in late 2018.

To produce more food for more people with fewer resources, due to climate change and population growth, agricultural bioscience research will need to adopt new research models, including interdisciplinary projects and corporate partnerships, to help fast-track product discovery and development. Timing will be important. “When I first started in agriculture, if you came up with a new corn hybrid, it could be 10 or 12 years before you would grow that hybrid commercially,” says Stephen Briggs, launch director for the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative. “You can’t afford to do that in a 12-year timeframe now. You have to shorten that to two or three years.

The University of Maryland School of Medicine opened the $305 million Health Sciences Facility III in Baltimore in October of 2018. Designed by HOK and Design Collective, the 11-story, 435,000-sf building provides wet and dry labs for biomedical research, an imaging suite, offices, collaboration spaces, and conference and seminar rooms. Accommodating 400 faculty and staff members, the facility houses over 15 research teams engaged in the study of oncology, cardiology, neurology, genomics, and regenerative medicine.

California State University, Chico broke ground on a $101 million physical sciences building in October of 2018. Providing teaching labs for chemistry, physics, and geology, the four-story, 110,200-sf STEM facility will house active learning classrooms, graduate research studios, collaboration spaces, administrative and faculty offices, and an interactive lab for elementary school programs.

Ramaco Carbon began construction in October of 2018 on the Carbon Advanced Materials (iCAM) facility in Sheridan, Wyo. Providing collaborative research space for academic, government, and industry partners, the 10,000-sf building will include a 3D printing and manufacturing suite, a pilot plant, laboratories, and offices. Designed by Dynia Architects, the facility will support the development of advanced products based on the carbon derived from coal. The engineering consultant for the center is WWC Engineering.

General Motors began construction in October of 2018 on the GM Mobility Campus in Toronto. Designed by Quadrangle, the 160,000-sf facility will include R&D space for the creation of urban mobility solutions and a public experience area to showcase new transportation technologies. Vehicle sales and service functions will be located on the lower levels of the structure. Sited on seven acres, the integrated complex is designed as an innovation hub for the automotive industry. 

South Dakota State University broke ground in October of 2018 on the $46.1 million Raven Precision Agriculture Center in Brookings. The 129,000-sf facility will provide collaborative classrooms and laboratories for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering. Accommodating sophisticated instrumentation for data analytics and leading-edge farm equipment, the building will include flexible research areas for academic and industry partners.

The University of Ottawa opened the CAD$115 million STEM Complex in October of 2018. Designed by Perkins+Will to accommodate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the collaborative 312,000-sf facility features open-plan teaching labs, a dedicated prototyping center, maker spaces with 3D printers, and an entrepreneurship hub.

Gwinnett County broke ground in October of 2018 on the $60 million Water Innovation Center in Buford, Ga. The 60,000-sf facility will provide wet and dry laboratories, a three-story demonstration bay, conference rooms, classrooms, a business incubator, and a 250-seat auditorium. Completion is expected in 2021. The project is expected to anchor a 700-acre campus offering research, educational, and commercial space. 

The University of Kentucky opened the first phase of its $265 million health research facility in September of 2018. Located in Lexington, the six-story, 300,000-sf building accommodates the study of health disparities in conditions including cancer, diabetes, obesity, and substance abuse. Designed by HGA Architects and Engineers, the multidisciplinary research facility features open labs with collocated computational and wet bench space. The first phase of construction included completion of the first three floors and parts of the basement level.