Lasry Center for Bioscience

The centerpiece and first structure of the three-building quad is the Lasry Center for Bioscience, a new teaching and laboratory facility for the biological sciences. This 41,000-sf building is designed to put the sciences on display, convey a forward-looking mission, and make a positive contribution to the community. Across the street, a historic 40,000-sf laboratory building was renovated to accommodate Physics, Math, and Computer Science. These two buildings constitute the initial phase of development.

The exterior design of the Lasry Center for Bioscience draws on many existing architectural elements and materials. Masonry cladding and a glazed curtainwall system are composed with consideration for campus design, functional expression, neighborhood scale, and solar orientation. The materials were chosen to respect this traditional red-brick campus while expressing the excitement of 21st century science.

The interiors are organized around a three-story, sky-lit atrium which supports informal interaction and welcomes visitors to teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, seminar rooms, faculty offices, “chalk-talk” areas, and post-doc office space. Natural light and transparency are used to enliven interior spaces, promote collegiality, and convey a memorable look and feel.

The Biological Sciences Building’s goals recognize that Clark’s greatest assets are its faculty, students, and staff. The design of the building creates a healthy environment for learning and working. The building has features to admit and control daylight and to minimize the dependence on electric lighting. Material selection was based on supporting high indoor air quality and using recycled content goods. The local community was supported through the specification of regionally manufactured products.

Sustainable design principles were observed from the outset of design, starting with site selection which considered solar orientation, tree preservation, and impervious area reduction. Other green design features include an HVAC system which is expected to produce a 40 percent energy saving over conventional designs while reducing CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions. The building is water efficient as well—water is used for cooling, and as cooling demand is reduced through the design of advanced mechanical systems, water consumption is also reduced. The Biological Sciences Building received a LEED-Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

This state-of-the-art building celebrates Clark’s traditional strength in the sciences and puts “science on display,” while educating building users and visitors about building features and operations. A lobby display highlights their commitment to the advancement of science in an environmentally sensitive manner.

Project Information

Building Owner:

Clark University

Building Location:

Worcester, Massachusetts UNITED STATES

Project Type:

New Construction,Renovation

Principal Building Function:

Teaching and research laboratories

Project Delivery Method:

Design/Build

Project Timeline

May 2002	Planning Start
Sep 2002	Design Start
Oct 2003	Construction Start
Jan 2005	Completion
Last known status: Completed

Construction Cost:

$17,000,000

Cost Per Sq. Ft:

$209

About These Cost Figures

Building Information

Project Includes:

Atrium
Biochemistry
Biology
Biotechnology
Education
Education: Lecture Or Seminar Hall
Laboratory
Research

Total GSF:

81,000

Project Team

Architect

Tsoi/Kobus & Associates Inc.

Builder

Consigli Construction Co., Inc.

Commissioning Agent

Environmental Health & Engineering

Consultant - Code

Philip Sherman

Consultant - Elevator

Lerch Bates & Associates Inc.

Consultant - Energy Analysis

EIC, Econergy International Corp.

Consultant - Lighting

Lam Partners Inc.

Consultant - Specifications

Collective Wisdom Corporation

Consultant - Sustainable Design

Natural Logic Inc.

Engineer - MEP

Van Zelm Haywood & Shadford

Engineer - Civil

Dunn McKenzie Inc.

Engineer - Geotechnical

Dunn McKenzie Inc.

Engineer - Structural

Souza, True & Partners

Landscape Architect

Strata Design Associates Inc.

Site Planning

Cullinan Engineering Co., Inc.

Profile Created 10/01/2006

Last Updated 10/19/2007

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

Fig. 2

Atrium

Fig. 3

Lab Interior

Fig. 4

Interaction Spaces