Arbutus Biopharma – North American R&D Headquarters

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a publicly traded Canadian biopharmaceutical company. Arbutus relocated its North American research and development headquarters to a new facility in Warminster, Pennsylvania. The 30,000-sf facility includes office and lab spaces to accommodate the emerging biotech company’s expanding operations.

To help facilitate the new development, Precis provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering services, working closely with the project team during the design/build and construction administration phases. The design included separate, but adjacent, chemistry and biology labs that allow the scientists to work closely together while maintaining necessary procedural separation. The biology labs were designed to Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) guidelines. Precis provided design for higher-capacity water, natural gas, and power utility services; new air-handling units, exhaust fans, hot water boilers, a data center unit, associated ductwork and piping distribution; a new emergency generator; lighting, power and data distribution, and fire alarm devices; centralized water purification, air compressor, and laboratory gas manifolds; and a sophisticated building automation system (BAS) to support the new laboratories and offices.

The team completed the construction under budget and on schedule in the Spring of 2017. The project won the 2017 Restoration/Renovation – Under $10 Million Construction Excellence Award from the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter.

Images © Halkin | Mason Photography