PHOENIX — McCarthy Building Companies recently completed construction of the $120 million Biodesign Institute C research building at Arizona State University (ASU). The building represents the third in ASU's 14-acre Biodesign Institute complex located on the main campus in Tempe, Arizona.

The new 191,035-square-foot research facility includes five stories, a mechanical penthouse, plus a basement that connects with the ASU Biodesign Institute B building and houses the world's first compact free electron X-ray laser. The project is comprised of approximately 60,000 square feet of flexible lab space for up to 80 lead researchers and 300 support staff who will be supporting ASU's goal of increasing research revenue to $815 million by 2025. The building's adaptable design accommodates multiple types of scientific research, including chemistry, biological sciences and engineering research. The building, comprised mostly of wet laboratories and offices, also includes high-bay spaces.

"Arizona State University's research enterprise is growing at a pace unprecedented by nearly any other university in the nation," said Tamara Deuser, Chief Operating Officer and Associate Vice President for ASU's Knowledge Enterprise Development. "Biodesign C is a phenomenal building designed to attract new researchers to Arizona and bring scientists of all types together to share their knowledge and arrive at health, sustainability and security solutions that will benefit not only Arizona, but the world."

The project team included architects Zimmer Gunsul Frasca and BWS Architects in addition to general contractor McCarthy Building Companies.

"This project represents one of the most significant completions for our Southwest division in recent years that required out-of-the-box thinking in order to keep the project on its fast-tracked schedule," said Justin Kelton, President of McCarthy Building Companies' Southwest division. "Our team is incredibly proud to be part of a world-class research facility like Biodesign Institute C, where researchers will be working tirelessly to bring significant hope for our future and the promise of new discoveries and innovations."

Biodesign Institute C will house a key drug discovery and bioenergy research tool – the world's first compact free electron X-ray laser – a super X-ray that peers deep inside proteins to better understand both the action of molecules critical to cancer and other devastating diseases, and how plants convert sunlight into renewable energy.

The building's fifth floor is designed to accommodate Arizona's growing success in the area of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dementia research, and is envisioned to ultimately house one of the largest teams of Alzheimer's researchers in the nation.

Scientists of varying disciplines are housed in the lab's "neighborhoods," a layout of close proximity that encourages collaboration. The design was modeled after state-of-the-art research complexes like the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla, California, which was also built by McCarthy.

Additionally, following ASU's green building standards, Biodesign Institute C has been designed and constructed to the highest levels of sustainability and includes an innovative HVAC system to limit its energy and environmental footprint. With the completion of Biodesign Institute C, ASU's total research square footage within the Biodesign complex is now 538,000 square feet.

ASU Biodesign C will celebrate its official grand opening in September 2018.