Officials from Florida Atlantic University broke ground on The Max Planck Florida Institute, to be located on FAU’s campus in Jupiter.

The 100,000-sq-ft biomedical research facility was designed by ZGF Architects of Washington, D.C., in association with PGAL.

The building is designed to accommodate nearly 58,000 sq ft of laboratory space, along with information technology services and offices for researchers and support staff. The facility will also include conference rooms, a 100-seat auditorium, lounges and offices.

The project is seeking a LEED Silver rating. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2012.