Texas A&M University plans to renovate and upgrade spaces in the Albert B. Alkek Building and build-out spaces in Discovery Tower to strengthen its presence around the Texas Medical Center in Houston. The Alkek IBT Building Lab Expansion/Renovation & EnMed Build-out project is programmed in three stages. The project's first stage is to relocate the Texas A&M Health's Institute of Biosciences and Technology (IBT) administrative offices from the Alkek Building to the nearby Discovery Tower (aka the EnMed Building). The scope of work at Discovery Tower includes building out 8,750 square feet of shell space on one floor to house two director suites, thirty administrative offices, and associated collaboration and support spaces. The project's next phases will focus on renovating and upgrading spaces in the Alkek Building. First, the two floors (2nd and 11th) that are being vacated by the administrative staff and a partially vacant 7th floor will be converted into fully equipped research spaces. Next, the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors, which will become vacant when research moves to the 2nd, 7th, and 11th-floor renovations, will be upgraded into cutting-edge research spaces. The renovations and upgrades to Alkek include reconfiguring and replacing the building utility systems (HVAC, gas lines, distilled water, etc.) to allow for flexible laboratory layouts. The Alkek Building will remain occupied throughout the project.
