Chemours Discovery Hub

Overview

The Chemours Discovery Hub is one of the largest R&D centers in the state of Delaware and region. The facility was built for the Chemours Company on the University of Delaware’s Science Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus which also houses the headquarters for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIMBLE).

The 324,000-square-foot Discovery Hub, built on a 15-acre site, consolidates laboratories and offices for approximately 330 scientists, engineers, and researchers, who were formerly spread out among several sites throughout the state. The three-story Hub includes more than 100 labs, 50 specialty rooms, cafes, conference rooms, and 20 “huddle” rooms for small group meetings. Constructed over the course of 24 months, the project has achieved a Three Globes rating from the Green Globes sustainable building program.

Most of the structure is 3 stories with portions of the building dropping to 2 stories, providing for tall interior volumes in processing areas. Both wings provide service, delivery, and storage functions allowing for the concentration of lab and office space to reside predominantly in the central 3-story building. The building contains numerous unique features including high bay storage, provisions for large vertical and horizontal wire lines, and approximately 10,000 square feet of combustion containment for use of potentially unstable chemicals. One entire exterior wall in this area is design for explosion release and tethering in place, consistent with the high safety standards of Chemours and previous parent company DuPont.