Back to School for Hardhats and Scholars Alike: Top 10 University Life Science Projects Reach $1.5 Billion Investment in 2010

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Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As parents and students across the country prepare for the annual migration back to college campuses across North America, they will be joined by construction crews. A recent analysis of Industrial Info's Pharmaceutical Tracker - Online Database has revealed that when considering just the top 10 projects sourced out of the academic sector, the result is an impressive total investment value (TIV) of $1.5 billion.

Click on image at right for a table of the top 10 U.S. university life science projects by state.

With a high project average TIV of $150 million, it becomes evident that schools are focused on building up their life science infrastructures. Few projects of this magnitude spring up overnight, with the majority taking years of planning. With state budgets scrambling for dollars, it is somewhat remarkable to see so many large projects move forward. With state dollars not readily available, a number of schools are actively seeking and successfully landing private financing. Two of the top 10 projects in play were fortunate enough to benefit from the federal stimulus program for a portion of their capital costs.

The reasoning and design behind many of the projects are varied, yet all tend to follow several common themes. Translational research is at the top of every major university's planning agenda, as it speeds up the process of getting drugs or treatments to the patient--in effect, shortening the "bench to bedside" timeline. Collaborative research environments allowing multiple disciplines (i.e. biology, engineering) to work together in an open setting is a leading trend, as well. And when moving beyond the typical research component, schools are frequently implementing curriculums targeting the industry, spanning all aspects from construction to production, knowing that in today's marketplace, a surfeit of intellectual capacity coupled with trained labor is an important consideration in the site-selection process of commercial pharma-biotech facility construction.

Landing at the top of the 2010 top-10 university projects list is Princeton's Neuroscience and Psychology Complex addition. The $185 million project will add two LEED Silver-certified buildings totaling 250,000 square feet. Designed by Davis Brody Bond LLP (New York, New York) working with Rafael Vinoly (New York, New York), the complex will house neuroscience and psychological research and teaching laboratories and shared-use facilities, such as brain imaging. Barr and Barr (Princeton, New Jersey), the construction manager for the project, began building in July of this year and should be complete in late 2012.

Sharing top honors is Arizona State University's $185 million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV, which is under construction in Tempe, Arizona. Designed by HDR Architecture (Phoenix, Arizona), the project will add a 285,000-square-foot LEED-certified building that is 75% wet lab space and 25% dry. When Sundt Construction (Tempe) completes the building in late 2012, the facility will focus on a number of areas of study, including biotech and renewable energy.

When considering the top 10 projects that began construction in 2009, the data does show a 35% drop in 2010 from last year's total of $2.3 billion. Rather than a mere reflection of trying economic times, the drop in spending can be explained by the sheer size of several of the 2009 top 10 projects. When combined, the top two projects from 2009 represent nearly a $1.5 billion investment.

Last year's top honors went to the Biomedical Research Building now under construction for Weill Cornell Medical College (New York, New York), representing a $700 million investment and more than a decade of planning. Designed by New York's Polshek Partnership, the building's construction is being handled by Tishman Construction (New York, New York). Scheduled for completion in 2014, the 16-story, 500,000-square-foot project is located on East 69th Street and York. Like an increasing number of these projects, the facility will focus on translational research.

Next up in 2009 was the launch of the $450 Albert Sherman Research Center for the University of Massachusetts. For information, see September 22, 2009, article - UMass Medical School Begins Construction of the $450 Million Albert Sherman Research Center in Worcester. Architectural Resources Cambridge designed the nine-story, 500,000-square-foot building specifically to foster interdisciplinary biomedical research and education, which eases cross-discipline interaction and study among scientists and students. The University of Massachusetts Building Authority (Boston, Massachusetts) is part of the project team, which includes William A Berry & Son (Danvers, Massachusetts) serving as construction manager at risk. PMA Consultants (Braintree, Massachusetts) is on board as project manager. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2012.

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