Innovative Use of Big-Box Retail Space Will Support Company Growth, Generate Economic Development Opportunities and Inspire Creative Solutions to Client Problems
Albuquerque, N.M. – Verus® Research, a New Mexico-based team of scientists and engineers specializing in advanced research and development, announces the expansion and buildout of a new research facility. The fast-growing technology company will move into an empty big-box retail space in Albuquerque, N.M. in August. In addition to the new 41,240 square feet of research and office space, Verus Research will maintain its multi-floor headquarters in Albuquerque as well as its two other lab and office spaces throughout the city.
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Working with Verus Research since 2014, Resolut RE, a commercial real estate company located in Albuquerque, has supported the company’s growth during the past seven years and was tasked with helping the company expand in a limited industrial real estate market. As the COVID-19 pandemic impacted retail space, it provided Resolut RE with a creative way to support its client as well as the business community. “To meet the growing needs of Verus Research, we had to creatively look at the problem and find the right space to accommodate the company’s expansion,” said Rob Powell, principal with Resolut RE. “Once we identified the unique big-box location, we collaborated with Improve Group and Design Plus to develop a cutting-edge interior design transforming a retail space into a state-of-the-art research location for one of New Mexico’s leading technology companies.”
For the space to accommodate Verus Research’s needs, Improve Group, a design and construction integrator based in Albuquerque, collaborated with Design Plus Architects and developed a systemized construction system using DIRTT (Doing it Right this Time) and other systems which utilized the flexibility and sustainability of the space to encourage growth. “We helped create a workplace systems approach for Verus Research that incorporates the company’s vision of solving problems through innovative solutions. The smart component-based system we developed where walls can be moved like Legos will help stimulate and accommodate internal growth for the next 10 years,” said Matt Procter, president of Improve Group. “Verus Research encouraged us to take a different design approach and we reinvented the space through technology and modernization, creating a workplace that will improve employee experiences, encourage collaboration among team members and inspire innovative solutions for clients.”
Design Plus, an Albuquerque-based architectural design firm, worked closely with Verus Research to create a solutions-oriented work environment built around the vision, collaboration, and achievements of its scientists and engineers. “We developed an anthology of space(s) that became the underlying philosophy and logic for the Verus Workplace System (VWS). This determined an integration between public and private activity, the manifestation of the company’s culture, the creation and implementation of an innovative interior design system, and more. Verus Research made a unique investment in its physical and virtual work environments and encouraged us to bring a new perspective to the design and construction of its newest laboratory,” said Rupal Engineer, president of Design Plus.
AIC General Contractor, an Albuquerque-based general contractor, will perform and manage the construction of Verus Research’s new 41,240 square feet research facility. “We have worked with Verus Research since its initial expansion six years ago and we are thrilled to help them convert a retail space to offices and a laboratory testing area for their clients,” said David Shaffer, president of AIC General Contractor. “We will work closely with Improve Group and Design Plus to complete the layout of partition walls and infrastructure needed to accommodate the DIRTT-based interior, build ramps, bring the facility up to current codes and install rollup doors, and more to help bring Verus Research’s vision to life.”
The building is part of the commercial property portfolio of Gardenswartz Realty, a substantial New Mexico property investment company. The lease agreement was signed on March 15, 2021. “Verus Research is an outstanding forward-thinking company and its expansion to the new building will allow it to grow, provide more jobs and research opportunities in the state, and help improve the local economy,” said Art Gardenswartz and Sonya Priestly, managing partners of Gardenswartz Realty. “We are thrilled to have Verus Research as a tenant and able to provide a locally-owned company with the opportunity to improve its business and the community it supports.”
“Verus Research was founded in 2014 and it has always been our goal to remain in Albuquerque and support the community where our employees live, work and play, through growth and recruitment, new job opportunities, and economic development for the city and state. Resolut RE, the Improve Group, Design Plus, AIC and Gardenswartz Realty have taken leadership roles and worked together to support our vision of creating a scientific research and development environment built around creatively solving our customer’s most difficult technical problems,” said Hank Andrews, managing director and CFO of Verus Research. “Our expansion will provide room for offices, team collaboration centers, testing facilities, equipment and product storage, large open laboratories and 10 program-specific laboratory stations all under one roof. The size and location of the space and its futuristic interior design will provide Verus Research with the ability to grow and support our customers and community for many years to come.”
“Verus Research has been a part of Albuquerque for nearly 10 years,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. “It is a testament to the city’s strength throughout this pandemic that we are continuing moving toward recovery and seeing growth. Congrats to Verus Research on its expansion and thank you for continuing to be an integral part of the community and the city’s emergent role in tech.”
For more information, please visit Verusresearch.net.
