Illumina leadership turned to University Research Park (URP) for assistance to develop a cutting edge, robust research, production and product distribution facility. Their needs required the entire second floor of the URP Accelerator Building. Key areas for Illumina include research and development, quality control, manufacturing, production, warehouse, large capacity, walk-in product storage freezers, and office space. The most unique space is the fermentation room which houses the latest technology in high capacity enzyme production. A main corridor stretches almost the entire length of the building with labs and production rooms off of each side with ample viewing windows for customer observation of the product development. Vogel Bros. Building Co. successfully managed the design-build process and compressed a six-month construction schedule. Several construction challenges included the coordination of the complex production equipment utility requirements and installation, along with relocating Illumina’s entire product stock. The product was stored in sub-zero continuously monitored freezers that were shipped from their existing facility — full of product — and lifted to the second floor by crane to be brought into the building through the existing windows without compromising any of the product. The move-in occurred over several days and they were able to ship product orders on the first day of occupancy.
