Global construction and development firm Skanska and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) celebrated the topping out of the Artificial Intelligence and Quantitative Biology (AIQB) building at CSHL. Skanska is providing construction management services for the $248 million, 379,500-square-foot campus expansion, which, upon completion of this first phase, will feature state-of-the-art neuroscience and cancer biology labs, an AI research building and a parking garage.
Phase II of the overall $500 million campaign calls for a new 81,000-square-foot research housing and conference center and a 56,000-square-foot housing and collaborative research center for visiting scientists. The project is supported, in part, by New York State Empire State Development (ESD), which the lab has leveraged with private funds.
Substantial completion of the Foundations for the Future campaign initiative will be achieved in early 2027. The CSHL campus is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We cannot predict the future, but we can prepare for it, and that is what Foundations for the Future does.” said CSHL President and CEO Bruce Stillman, PhD. “The ongoing expansion will help ensure that CSHL remains at the global epicenter of biology research and education for generations. I want to thank our partners at Skanska as well as everyone who has supported this initiative, which has now raised an impressive $425 million.”
The project involves a phased approach with multiple sub-projects progressing concurrently. The scope of operations includes the construction and fit-out of several key facilities: a 36,000-square-foot neuroscience research complex and a 28,000-square-foot AI and quantitative biology research building. A new two-story, 90,000-square-foot parking garage that will provide space for 225 cars is underway, along with the relocation of a campus roadway and existing utility infrastructure, including sewage, natural gas and other utility lines.
The three-story AIQB is built using mass timber glulam columns and beams with cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor decks. The timber used in the AIQB was responsibly sourced from sustainably managed forests in the Southeastern United States, and fabrication waste such as sawdust and scrap material was recycled and repurposed for other applications. The $28 million facility will house four laboratories, 15 principal investigator offices, 96 postdoctoral researcher workstations, seven research administration offices, three administrative offices and 10 meeting rooms.
“With roots dating back to the 1800s, CSHL continues to exemplify a longstanding commitment to progress, innovation, and building for the future,” said Sean Szatkowski, executive vice president, general manager, Skanska USA Building. “It’s an honor to aid in carrying the Laboratory’s legacy forward through this transformative seven-acre expansion supporting state-of-the-art research while preserving both the institute’s history and longevity.”
