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Modernization

University College London Constructs Neuroscience Research Center

Published 5/31/2023

University College London is constructing IoN-DRI, a £281.6 million neuroscience center where 500 clinicians and investigators will work together to translate research discoveries into innovative solutions for patient care. The interdisciplinary complex will collocate the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (IoN), the UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI), and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

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Electrification Can Help Campuses Reach Their Decarbonization Goals

Published 5/17/2023

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has made fighting climate change a top priority for its 250-acre campus in Kamloops, British Columbia. University leaders have committed that TRU will become a net-zero campus and be fossil fuel free by 2030. To that end, it is replacing fossil-fuel-powered heating and cooling with a new low-carbon district energy system (LCDES) that includes a combination of heat pumps powered by renewable electricity. TRU officials and others believe electrification through district energy is the most impactful way for institutions to wean themselves off fossil fuels.

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Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine Plans Cancer Research Complex

Published 5/1/2023

The Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine will break ground in summer of 2023 on a $375 million research complex in the Oxford in the United Kingdom. Designed by Foster & Partners, the highly collaborative campus will enable teams of investigators and physicians to reimagine cancer treatment while enhancing overall human health.

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Integrating 21st Century Specialized cGMP Labs into Challenging, Outdated Spaces

Published 4/19/2023

Repurposing non-research facilities to house specialized life sciences and therapeutics labs is a growing trend sparked by real estate inventory and the fiscal practicality of renovation rather than new construction. The vacancy rate throughout the United States for lab space in the fourth quarter of 2022 was 6 percent versus 19.5 percent for office space, according to the Jones Lang LaSalle real estate transparency index. The vacancy rates for 2021 were less than 4 percent for labs and approximately 15 percent for offices.

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High-Rise Labs in Urban Settings Present Both Advantages and Challenges

Published 4/19/2023

Life science laboratories are increasingly embracing the idea of moving into high-rise settings in city centers, filling space in new construction, or renovating office space left vacant, in part, by the many companies opting to continue to work from home following the pandemic. High-rise laboratories in urban settings offer many advantages related to recruiting top talent, the ease of city amenities, and abundant transportation options, says Matthew Decker, AIA, architect for CRB in Plymouth Meeting, Penn. But they also pose challenges, including strict building codes for hazardous materials, and infrastructure concerns that can affect placement of lab equipment, HVAC systems, and utilities.

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Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Constructs Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health

Published 4/7/2023

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is constructing the 65,000-sf Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health in New York. Designed by HOK, the project includes the redevelopment of a former nursing residence into a world-class research hub that will drive innovation in genomics, precision imaging, and multiscale disease modeling. The 12-story facility will become the first of its kind within a U.S. medical school when it opens in late 2023. 

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Stanford University Breaks Ground on Graduate School of Education

Published 4/5/2023

Stanford University broke ground in March of 2023 on a consolidated home for the Graduate School of Education. Designed by William Rawn Associates and CAW Architects, the project includes the construction of a four-story, 42,700-sf structure and a complete renovation of the three-story, 97,547-sf Education Building. The vibrant 150,000-sf complex will also integrate the existing Barnum Center for Family and Community Partnerships, with a 13,500-sf landscaped courtyard connecting the three buildings.

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University of Utah Breaks Ground on Applied Sciences Project

Published 3/3/2023

The University of Utah broke ground in February of 2023 on the Applied Sciences Project in Salt Lake City. Designed by EDA, the $93.5 million endeavor includes renovation of 40,700 sf in the historic William Stewart Building and construction of a 100,000-sf teaching and research facility. The integrated complex will feature wet and dry labs where teams of scientists will address the country’s most urgent issues, from energy and climate change to air quality and water management.

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Carnegie Mellon to Open First-Ever Academic Cloud Lab

Published 1/18/2023

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh is working in partnership with San Francisco-based Emerald Cloud Lab on a new $40 million facility that will house more than 200 discrete life science and chemistry research instruments, but very few human researchers, teachers, or students. Instead, the instruments and artificial intelligence tools within the new CMU Cloud Lab can be accessed remotely via the cloud from anywhere in the world to conduct experiments at any time of the day or night. The new 16,000-sf Cloud Lab will be housed in a CMU-owned building in Pittsburgh’s Bakery Square, 10 minutes from the main campus. Construction is scheduled to conclude by May 2023 and to be fully operational by the fall 2023 semester.  

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The Hurley Group Transforms Offices into Labs at Elm City Bioscience Center

Published 1/16/2023

The Hurley Group has transformed an existing office building in New Haven to create the Elm City Bioscience Center. Designed by Svigals + Partners, the adaptive reuse project offers over 100,000 sf of leasable research space for startup companies. Featuring BSL-1 and BSL-2 environments, the eight-story biotech hub provides lab suites with adjacent work areas, meeting rooms, and break rooms. Advanced mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems enable the structure’s 12,000-sf floor plates to easily adapt to changing requirements and configurations.

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Thor Equities Opens Lab-Ready Research Facility in Jersey City

Published 11/16/2022

Thor Equities opened a 350,000-sf research facility in Jersey City in October of 2022. Designed by SGA, the adaptive reuse project transformed a former toothpaste factory into a vibrant R&D center offering leasable lab and office environments. Featuring a selection of suites with infrastructure, casework, and equipment already installed, the eight-story structure integrates flexible floor plates, multiple utility grids, an onsite life safety generator, and 125 underground parking spaces.

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Breakthrough Properties Begins Construction on Cambridge Life Sciences Center

Published 8/22/2022

Breakthrough Properties began construction in August of 2022 on the One Canal life sciences center in Cambridge, Mass. Designed to accommodate either a single tenant or multiple companies, the project involves the renovation of an existing structure to provide 105,000 sf of best-in-class biomedical research space. Occupants will enjoy private outdoor meeting venues, integrated retail amenities, and a fitness center.

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Cornell University Plans Engineering Expansion

Published 8/12/2022

Cornell University will begin construction in January of 2023 on a 30,000-nsf expansion of Thurston Hall in Ithaca, N.Y. Designed by NBBJ to promote experiential learning, the $40 million project will accommodate the rapidly growing Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The façade of the brick and stone structure, which was originally built in 1951, will be transformed into a contemporary glass and metal exterior that transmits natural light to interior areas.

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University of North Carolina Wilmington Expands Randall Library

Published 7/27/2022

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is expanding the William Randall Library to enhance the student experience with new venues for knowledge exchange and discovery. Designed by LS3P and Shepley Bulfinch to maximize visibility and connectivity, the $56 million project includes construction of an 80,000-sf addition and renovation of the existing structure to create an 118,000-sf complex.

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