ROCHESTER, NY – On August 5, 2026, SWBR joined QED Technologies International, project partners, and community leaders to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of QED’s expanded University Avenue facility, a major investment that bolsters Rochester’s position as a global hub for optics, photonics, and imaging while driving the company’s next chapter.
Founded in Rochester in 1996, QED Technologies is a worldwide leader in precision optics fabrication, advanced finishing technologies, and metrology solutions. To meet increasing demand from the semiconductor, aerospace, and defense industries, firm leaders sought to grow the campus with a new research and development center and enhanced fabrication capabilities, creating a unified environment where ingenuity and manufacturing happen side-by-side.
The 20K SF addition was envisioned to support the entire lifecycle of optical technology development. Dedicated laboratory and engineering spaces allow teams to iterate next-generation tools and processes, and larger fabrication areas provide the infrastructure required to produce increasingly sophisticated optical components. In co-locating these functions, the facility creates a more efficient path from concept and testing to deployment.
The project also includes customer demonstration and collaboration areas that give partners direct access to QED’s expertise. Adaptable workspaces throughout the facility will encourage further interaction between research, engineering, and production teams, fostering the exchange of ideas that fuels innovation and accommodating workforce growth.
“Buildings can help enable progress, but it’s the people inside them who move industries forward,” said Gianfranco Pietrantoni, AIA, who served as Project Manager. “What excites me most about the expansion is its potential to add new jobs for aspiring local researchers and technicians, who will shape the future of optics from their own backyard.”
Members of the SWBR project team.
Serving as Architect of Record, SWBR partnered with the Pike Company (Construction Manager) and Erdman Anthony (MEP Engineering) to design and deliver the $18.7M project, which officially opened its doors following the ribbon-cutting.