James I. Swenson Science Building

This research and teaching laboratory with support spaces for programs in Chemistry, Fresh Water Research, and Biology emphasizes healthy and productive work environments. The 50-foot wide lab building provides the opportunity for daylight to spill into the research and teaching laboratories.

Teaching labs are located along the main pedestrian path of the building. Support spaces are communal and happen near the intersection of research and teaching labs. Research labs are defined by a single corridor down the middle. The new facility provides space for 16 undergraduate instructional laboratories for 2100 students and an additional 16 research laboratories for faculty and post doctoral researchers.

The two-story space at the intersection of the research and teaching labs serves as an interaction space for students, faculty, and staff. The space is marked with a 40-foot high light collecting element. A “picture” window opposite the element looks toward Duluth and Lake Superior as well as the new outdoor water resources research classroom.

Sustainable and native materials are used including brick, stone and wood. An engineered wetland provides a “front yard” for the building and laboratory for wild rice research. An Art in Architecture sculpture by John David Mooney sits on the front lawn.

Project Information

Building Owner:

University of Minnesota

Building Location:

Duluth, Minnesota UNITED STATES

Project Type:

New Construction

Principal Building Function:

Teaching and research science building

Project Delivery Method:

General Contractor

Project Timeline

Aug 2001	Planning Start
Oct 2001	Design Start
Mar 2003	Construction Start
Jun 2005	Completion
Last known status: Completed

Project Cost:

$27,300,000

Construction Cost:

$25,451,000

Cost Per Sq. Ft:

$254

About These Cost Figures

Building Information

Project Includes:

Atrium
Biology
Chemistry
Education
Laboratory: Teaching

Total GSF:

100,450

Project Team

Architect

Ross Barney Architects

Architect - Associate

Stanius Johnson

Builder

M. A. Mortenson

Engineer - MEP

Affiliated Engineers Inc. (AEI)

Engineer - Civil

MSA/PREM

Engineer - Structural

Meyer Borgman & Johnson

Laboratory Planner

Kornberg Associates

Profile Created 08/22/2007

Last Updated 10/12/2007

About the Reported Cost Figures

The cost figures reported are supplied by the firms that submitted these projects for publication, which in most cases are the designers or builders. Whereas these sources are intimately familiar with their projects, they may not be fully aware of the owners' finally-realized and recorded costs. In some cases, costs are truly and completely accounted for, and in others they represent a near approximation of the final costs. Costs have not been adjusted for year of construction, nor has any attempt been made to make regional cost adjustments.

Further, costs are not comparable on any kind of detailed standard costing model. Hence, it is possible for the cost of one building to include a steam boiler, while the cost of a comparable building might not include the boiler, if steam is being supplied from an already existing campus grid. Or, in another case, a building might include excess boiler capacity to supply steam to another building. Some submittals include fees or unusual site improvements as part of the construction costs, which others do not.

Fig. 1

Exterior

The 100,450-sf Science Laboratory Building at the University of Minnesota at Duluth creates a link between the teaching and research functions of the Science Department and the academic and residential areas of the campus. (Photo courtesy of Ross Barney Architects.)

Fig. 2

Interior

The new facility provides space for 16 undergraduate instructional laboratories and 16 research laboratories for faculty and post doctoral researchers. (Photo courtesy of Ross Barney Architects.)

Fig. 3

Interaction Space

The Science Laboratory Building houses research and teaching laboratories and lab support spaces for programs in Chemistry, Fresh Water Research, and Biology. (Photo courtesy of Ross Barney Architects.)