James H. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering and Studies

Completed in September 2003, the 245,000-gsf building has three wings, three floors, a partial basement, and 146,000 nsf of laboratory space. Designing around the initiatives of biocomputation, biophysics, regenerative medicine, genomics and proteomics, chemical biology, and biodesign forced the team to develop generic lab solutions rather than specific lab plans. The $146.6 million project has a comfortable environment and flexible labs that are expected to accommodate between 600 and 700 people when the building is fully occupied.

Innovative flexible, 10'-high work spaces include accessible utilities, mobile casework, and adaptable infrastructure. Sealed epoxy floors allow work areas to be utilized as wet or dry labs. A Unistrut ceiling and racks provide drop-down access to standard utility services, such as gas, air, vacuum, electricity, and water. The Unistrut drops are mobile and can be moved easily and inexpensively by unscrewing a few bolts, so that lab spaces can be converted to wet or dry areas to accommodate each researcher’s work. Sinks are the only items that are not mobile.

Each stage of the final laboratory and office design was evaluated using a full-size mock up of actual materials and systems. The result is a layout that meets the unique user needs and desires of a modular, flexible organization of laboratories and offices.

Interaction is encouraged with regionally shared facilities, a café, seminar rooms, and an auditorium. Fifteen percent of the building is dedicated to public functions such as conference rooms and classrooms, while nine percent consists of facilities that are shared by people within the Center. The shared facilities include small animal imaging, biocomputation collaboratories, central glasswash, and media prep.

Collaboration is unavoidable by way of the building’s unique design which features open labs, plenty of social spaces, and shared instrumentation. There are no interior corridors in the building and the inner courtyards are completely glass. Researchers on the second floor can look across the courtyard into other laboratories. Bridges connect the wings of the building and a raised platform in the center of the courtyard can be used as a stage for lectures or concerts.

Project Information

Building Owner:

Stanford University

Building Location:

Palo Alto, California UNITED STATES

Project Type:

New Construction

Principal Building Function:

Interdisciplinary research and laboratories

Project Delivery Method:

Fast Track

Project Timeline

Jun 2001	Construction Start
Sep 2003	Completion
Last known status: Completed

Project Cost:

$146,600,000

Construction Cost:

$100,300,000

About These Cost Figures

Building Information

Project Includes:

Auditorium
Biochemistry
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Education
Education: Biomedical
Education: Chemistry
Education: Classroom
Education: Lecture Or Seminar Hall
Genomics
Interdisciplinary Research
Laboratory
Laboratory: Biomedical Research
Laboratory: Chemistry
Laboratory: Dry And Wet
Laboratory: Research
Office: Researcher
Research

Total GSF:

245,200

Total NSF:

146,073

Efficiency:

60%

Building Population:

Project Team

Architect

MBT Architecture

Architect - Design

Foster & Partners

Builder

Hathaway Dinwiddle

Consultant - Accoustical

Charles M. Salter

Consultant - Cost Analysis

Davis Langdon Adamson

Consultant - Plumbing

Therma, Inc.

Consultant - Vibration

Wilson Ihrig & Associates

Engineer - Civil

Brian Kangas Faulk

Engineer - Electrical

Cupertino Electric

Engineer - Mechanical

Alfa Tech Consulting Engineers

Engineer - Structural

Middlebrook & Louie

Landscape Architect

Peter Walker and Partners

Supplier - Accoustical Ceiling Tile

Armstrong World Industries

Supplier - Carpet

Pacificrest Mills

Supplier - Casework

ISEC Inc.

Supplier - Casework

Fisher Hamilton

Supplier - Curtainwall

Pohl Inc.

Supplier - Elevators

Schindler Elevator Corporation

Supplier - Exterior Skin

Marlite Surface Systems

Supplier - Fire Protection

Northstar Fire Protection

Supplier - Laboratory Fixtures

Broen Lab Inc.

Supplier - Laboratory Fixtures

WaterSaver Faucet Co.

Profile Created 08/01/2007

Last Updated 09/03/2007

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

Courtyard

Fig. 2

Classroom

Fig. 3

Flexible Offices

Fig. 4

Open Labs

Fig. 5

Lab Interior