A first for the Houston area, San Jacinto College is partnering with Pfluger Architects, a Texas-based architecture firm with extensive experience in educational facility planning, design and construction administration, to build training facilities for the highly specialized field of biotechnology, creating career pathways for skilled professionals in this rapidly growing industry.
The 10,000-square-foot Center for Biotechnology is under construction at the college’s North Houston Generation Park campus and slated for completion in May 2025. Once completed, the center will offer an associate of applied science degree in biomanufacturing technology and shorter credentials for post-graduates to meet workforce needs.
San Jacinto College partnered with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) in Dublin, Ireland, as the exclusive provider of NIBRT-licensed training in the southern part of the United States and the only in Texas. The San Jacinto College program is one of only two such programs in the United States, cementing the Houston region as an innovation hub for the life sciences and biotech sector. The NIBRT program supports an international alliance of leading training and education organizations to help address the global shortage of a skilled biopharma workforce.
“San Jacinto College saw a growing demand for skilled professionals in the biotech sector and with this new center their educational programming will encompass all aspects of biomanufacturing, specialized instrumentation and equipment training, and advanced techniques,” said Chris Lammers, AIA, Higher Education Practice Leader at Pfluger Architects. “The building shell was initially designed for the campus central plant, so flexibility for current and future use of the facility was forefront in our design. We designed a highly adaptable and flexible lab module using a partition layout to support the college’s current needs for curriculum, support spaces and circulation, with spaces that can easily transform along with the college and curriculum.”
The facility’s cutting-edge resources and immersive training environments will ensure graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge essential for success in the dynamic biopharmaceutical industry. The center is designed as a laboratory suite with an entry lobby fitted with lockers, breakroom and workroom for students and staff. The laboratory suite is accessed through a control gowning room where students will practice real-world entry into a “clean environment.” The specialized training labs for Upstream and Cell Processing, Downstream, Fill and Finish, and Clean Room Qualifications immerse students in real-world experiences to become prepared and certified for future opportunities in the biotech industry.
The aggressive design and construction timeline for the new building at the Generation Park campus required a coordinated effort between Page, who designed the shell and site including an elegant pedestrian experience and physical connection to the nearby trails and campus amenities, along with general contractor Tellepsen Builders and Pfluger Architects, who designed everything from the shell inward, including MEP.
“The biomanufacturing industry is seeing substantial growth potential in the Greater Houston area and this new Center for Biotechnology represents a firm commitment to bolstering the workforce pipeline, positioning the region for strategic growth,” said Christopher Wild, Ph.D., executive director of the San Jacinto College Center for Biotechnology. “This training and certification program is designed to provide a seamless entry into the field for new professionals, with a focus on practical experience and exposure to industry practices.”
San Jacinto College recently initiated the Biomanufacturing Training Program in 4,000 square feet of newly renovated facilities at the South Campus, with design input from Pfluger and other partners. The comprehensive offerings are designed to equip new professionals with the skills and knowledge to seamlessly enter the field, as well as a two-week hybrid regional biomanufacturing training program. Future offerings will expand to cover all aspects of biomanufacturing, specialized instrumentation and equipment training, and advanced techniques.
Biotechnology manufacturing is an expanding career field vital to the medical and oncology industries. Biotech professionals are making major strides in life-saving biological therapies including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, cell and gene therapies, and the production of commodity biological chemicals used in everyday life. With the large and expanding health care industry in Houston, and the vast availability of jobs in biotech, workforce training programs like that at San Jacinto College are critical to the industry’s growth.
