CAMI to Transform Molecular and Immunological Research in Phoenix
Breaking ground on the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies (CAMI), the University of Arizona Health Sciences propels Phoenix’s Bioscience Core into a new era of cell and gene therapy innovation. All images: Courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies
The University of Arizona Health Sciences has broken ground on the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies (CAMI) in downtown Phoenix, AZ. Strategically positioned within the burgeoning Phoenix Bioscience Core, this state-of-the-art facility is poised to revolutionize research in cell and gene therapies, fostering innovation and economic growth in the region. CAMI will advance the pursuit of therapies by welcoming new ideas and advancing current research at the University of Arizona Health Sciences.
CAMI is intended to be a cornerstone of the innovation district, reinforcing Phoenix’s role as a hub for groundbreaking research and entrepreneurial activity. Adjacent to the Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building, which houses the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, CAMI will form a collaborative ecosystem for academic excellence, clinical innovation, and corporate engagement.
Collecting end user input
Spanning over 200,000 sf across seven stories, CAMI will include cutting-edge research laboratories, a clinical suite, administrative offices, meeting spaces, and community-focused amenities such as an urban garden and café. Designed by McCarthy Building Companies and SmithGroup, the project is slated for completion in 2027.
“The design-build team used a series of workshops, each building on the prior, that performed a deep dive on each of the critical areas of facility design, from programming to building systems,” says Adam Denmark, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, vice president, science & technology design strategist, director of lab planning with SmithGroup. “These workshops included stakeholder interviews, peer project evaluations and tours, examination of relevant benchmarks, and a mix of static and interactive tools that enabled users to understand the outcomes at a deeper level, ensuring informed decisions.”
The building has been designed to provide distinct areas for researchers, clinical research and administrative staff, continues Denmark. “The researchers and administrative staff blend on the lab floors with secure access to the labs, as needed. There are visual connections between the two, so they remain connected while secure. Thus, each area is specialized to that group while maintaining a cohesive language for the whole. The clinic is located on the second floor, close to the participants and the cGMP space where the treatments will be manufactured. This unique space has more public interaction but still needs to maintain privacy for participants. Our team worked with the researchers and clinicians to optimize the flow from development to delivery of the treatments.”
Mike Lee, senior project director with McCarthy Building Companies, adds, “From the SmithGroup-led workshops, the design-build team provided constructability and program analysis, which also evaluated schedule and cost. The university ultimately made design and construction decisions based upon the robust detail that were provided through this process.”
Angela M. Souza, executive director, planning and facilities, University of Arizona Health Sciences, emphasizes that the design-build team prioritized clear communication and a shared project vision in order to ensure alignment among all stakeholders. “Early stakeholder engagement included a partnering session to unify understanding of project goals, define roles and responsibilities, and establish ongoing feedback loops. Regular meetings and workshops focus on both project specifics and the broader mission, allowing stakeholders to voice priorities and concerns, fostering early alignment. Formal reports and informal check-ins provide consistent updates on progress. This proactive, collaborative approach has cultivated a culture of transparency, flexibility and teamwork, preventing significant challenges in achieving alignment,” says Souza.
Guided by Dr. Deepta Bhattacharya's vision, CAMI’s innovative design fosters collaboration and cutting-edge research, leveraging the immune system to tackle cancers, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders
Fulfilling a vision
The cornerstone of CAMI’s mission is leveraging the body’s natural immune system to tackle health challenges, including cancers, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders. CAMI will accelerate the development of therapies by integrating foundational research with clinical applications, aiming to improve health outcomes across Arizona and globally.
The design-build team sought advice from Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, inaugural executive director of CAMI and a professor of immunobiology at the U of A College of Medicine-Tucson. “Dr. Bhattacharya … had a clear vision regarding collaborative spaces accelerating research and provided specific input on research and write up space relationship and connectivity. This design is unique to CAMI,” says Denmark. “The project provides a variety of collaborative spaces on each lab floor both within the labs proper and outside the labs. Each floor has a small break area as well as huddle spaces, heads down space and conference rooms.”
“Dr. Bhattacharya’s vision for CAMI is to provide incubator space with the goal of sparking and encouraging gene and cell research, which the design-build team has successfully done for different groups within the university previously,” adds Mark Kranz, vice president, design director, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB with SmithGroup, talks about the office and connection spaces included in this facility. “We were able to apply successful principles to further his vision to accommodate emerging technologies, various (even currently unknown) researchers and methodologies.”
The Design-Build team is co-locating onsite for the construction of CAMI, says Lee, in order to ensure full integration of the design and construction teams as well as the university and its stakeholders. “Dr. Bhattacharya’s vision has been clearly communicated and will be the driving force behind all decisions, and with our teams co-locating we’ll be in a position to evaluate issues and options as they arise during the construction process,” says Lee.
CAMI’s flexible design ensures seamless research continuity and future adaptability, featuring advanced lab infrastructure, GMP facilities, and spaces optimized for evolving scientific innovation.
Flexibility and innovation
During construction, CAMI research activities will continue in the Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building, where laboratory and administrative space supports ongoing projects.
“To minimize future disruptions, the facility includes components that support a broad range of research requirements, including appropriate vibration control in lab areas, distribution of house lab gases, accommodations for future cylinder gases, lab grade water systems, appropriate electrical infrastructure, and lab support spaces that can accommodate a range of uses,” says Denmark.
The space is flexibly designed to accommodate future research. “The shell spaces on floors four and five provide separation of clinical research space, which will allow for more efficient build-out and non-disruption when the shell space is built out. Additionally, the shell space is being equipped with infrastructure that anticipates future needs, while allowing for flexibility,” says Lee. “Versatility is a goal of the shell and lab space, as is anticipating future needs, while providing the most advanced technology for today’s researchers. It takes a lot of coordination, collaboration, understanding and creative thinking by all involved.”
“In addition to the mix of agile wet and dry research labs designed to accommodate yet to be conceived research, the building is equipped with adaptable core lab space designed to flex with it. Of specific note is CAMI’s GMP facility intended to give researchers ready access to produce treatments that can rapidly make their way to participants streamlining the discovery process,” says Denmark.
“All aspects of the facility, and particularly the lab zones, have been planned with future flexibility in mind. From maximizing the use of movable benching and research capable building criteria to minimizing obstacles and incorporating future capacity of building systems, CAMI is designed to be a tool for research long into the future,” he continues.
CAMI embodies sustainability and innovation, featuring energy-efficient systems, solar-mitigating architecture, and vibrant community spaces that connect Downtown Phoenix with groundbreaking research.
A vision of sustainability in downtown Phoenix
The University of Arizona is working toward full electrification of building systems to align with its Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, which aims to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The building connects to Cordia's district cooling system in downtown Phoenix, enhancing energy efficiency.
“The exterior façade is optimized to mitigate solar heat gain through utilization of a unique perforated scrim system on the building’s east and west facades,” says Kranz. “Horizontal louvers protect south facing glazing, while the ground plane is fully shaded by a large terrace that wraps around three sides of the structure.”
CAMI serves as a gateway to Downtown Phoenix and the Phoenix Bioscience Core, featuring a shaded community plaza with public art, desert landscaping, and gathering spaces at 7th Street and Fillmore. The seven-story building includes a ground-level podium with a restaurant, coffee shop, seminar spaces, and event areas, while upper levels house state-of-the-art research labs, workspaces, and collaboration areas with scenic views.
“A shaded vegetated roof terrace spills outdoors from a new shared breakroom on level three, while levels three through seven house state-of-the-art research laboratories, as well as workspaces and collaborations areas for research teams, with views to downtown and the surrounding landscape. A perforated ‘shade scrim’ minimizes glare and solar gain at the research tower and creates an iconic architecture that is sculpted by the path of the sun,” says Kranz.
A collaborative path forward
The CAMI project exemplifies Arizona’s commitment to fostering a world-class life sciences ecosystem. The facility’s layout includes space for collaborative research, downtime, and efficient communication between researchers.
“There is a large, shared breakroom strategically located on the third floor that spills out to a large shaded and vegetated terrace. The third floor connects to the adjacent Health Science Education Building as well as the Bioscience Partnership Building with a new bridge creating an opportunity for the entire Health Sciences campus to be connected physically to connect the broader campus research ecosystem,” says Kranz. “This floor also houses the director's suite, including a large conference room to facilitate visitors as well as prospective researchers, allowing them to experientially comprehend the unique CAMI mission.”
By combining academic ingenuity, public and private funding, and expert design and construction, the center promises to elevate the state’s standing in medical research and innovation. The facility will not only enhance the University of Arizona’s research capabilities but also serve as a magnet for startups and corporate partnerships, further cementing the Phoenix Bioscience Core as a hub for scientific breakthroughs and economic vitality.
