A new joint research building that will be located on the future site of Texas Medical Center’s life science campus expansion project, TMC3, has been undergoing construction since January 2021 and will be completed by fall 2023, Texas Medical Center research institutions have announced.

The 250,000-square-foot building, called the TMC3 Collaborative Building, will house synergistic translational research initiatives for three research institutions: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas A&M University Health Science Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The facility will also be shared with commercial life sciences companies and industry leaders, according to a Sept. 20 announcement.

The new building, designed by Boston-based life science architectural firm Elkus Manfredi Architects, will be located in the heart of a future 37-acre TMC3 campus, with four stories designed to encourage collaboration among the academic health care institutions and industry partners. To facilitate this collaboration, the three health care partners are creating a 43,000-square-foot joint research lab combining lab, office and co-working space.

Beyond that, 85,000 square feet of lab and office space will be developed for industry partners, while 14,200 square feet will host TMC’s strategic initiatives, Braidwell, the TMC Venture fund, and national venture and equity fund partners, according to the release.

MD Anderson will also create an additional 14,000-square-foot space for strategic initiatives.


“MD Anderson is proud to be a founding institution in TMC3. This project represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Houston’s academic medical community to collaborate together and with industry to advance our missions and accelerate knowledge and cures,” said Dr. Peter WT Pisters, president of MD Anderson in the announcement. “TMC3 also represents a stepwise advance in the local life sciences ecosystem, which will create jobs and opportunity for Houston, the region and the state.”

Meanwhile, Texas A&M Health will use the space as a new platform for pioneering advancements and commercial pursuits, while UTHealth Houston will use the space to further the work of its scientists as they look to make advancements in medicine.

To make this hub a reality, the three health care institutions plus Texas Medical Center have invested $185.8 million in the building’s design and construction.