Alexandria wins award for former GSK HQ site

For the second year in a row, an Alexandria Real Estate Equities building/campus in Research Triangle Park has won "The Outstanding Building of the Year" (TOBY) Award for Life Sciences from BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) at the U.S. Southern Region level.

The Alexandria Center for Life Science - Durham North Campus (ACLS-D), which consists of seven buildings, won the distinction. It’s located off T.W. Alexander Drive, across from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center on the former GlaxoSmithKline campus.

Last year, 8 Davis Drive received the same U.S. Southern Regional Award before ultimately winning the International Award. Only one Life Science building is selected at each level.

The TOBY Awards are the commercial real estate industry's highest recognition, honoring excellence in building management and operations.

To be eligible for a TOBY Award, a building must first win an award from its BOMA Local Association, then compete and win at the regional level.

Judging criteria includes community impact, occupant and employee relations, sustainability, accessibility, emergency evacuation procedures, building personnel training programs, and overall quality indicators. A team of industry experts also conducts a comprehensive building inspection as part of the evaluation.

ACLS-D previously served as co-U.S. headquarters for pharmaceutical giant GSK before Alexandria acquired and redeveloped the iconic property in 2020. Today, the campus boasts a half-mile main drive lined with maples and oaks and is home to some of the region’s largest biotech research companies.