Photo courtesy of CO Architects

Part of three buildings creating a new academic court, Powell-Focht Hall is a teaching and research facility where bioengineers apply emerging technologies to develop new ways of diagnosing and treating heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, cancer, and other medical problems. The two other buildings, the 148,000-sf Computer Science and Engineering building and the 215,000-sf Cal-(IT)2, are scheduled for completion in 2004. Cal-(IT)2 is designed to house the UCSD division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology.

Along with the Department of Bioengineering, the $37-million Powell-Focht Hall also houses the Whitaker Institute of Bioengineering and the von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement. The Whitaker Institute is aimed at advancing biomedical research among San Diego's biologists, physicians, and engineers, and the von Liebig Center is designed to accelerate the translation of Department of Bioengineering's research for industrial and clinical applications.

The centerpiece of Powell-Focht Hall is a 150-seat lecture hall housing multimedia equipment and providing interactive video conferencing.

Each floor of the four-story bioengineering hall houses a core facility: biotechnology, biofabrication, instrumentation, and in-vivo technology. Each core brings very specialized functions and equipment into common facilities that are accessible to many research groups, both within the building and throughout the campus-wide research community. Instructional labs housing tissue culture, an instrumentation room, and a machine shop all feature an open lab design and incorporate spaces for teaching.

A 3,298-sf vivarium is located in the basement. The nanotechnology lab in the biofabrication core on the fourth floor contains a 200-sf, Class 100 cleanroom. A 650-sf library on the same floor opens onto an outdoor terrace.

Office space in the south wing is located directly adjacent to the labs, with some offices having a direct entrance to the labs. In the north wing offices are grouped together and organized around an open office area housing students and post-docs.

Interaction spaces are distributed throughout the facility and are strategically located near research offices spaces. The small sitting areas are composed of comfortable benches at the ends of hallways. Each floor contains a larger interaction space directly adjacent to the elevator lobby. These spaces are furnished with tables and chairs, movable marker boards, and comfortable furniture with side tables and coffee tables. The location of these space adjacent to these high-traffic areas acts as a catalyst to encourage and support discussion.

Conference rooms and work rooms are available to the bioengineering faculty and students using the advisory services of the von Liebig Center to accelerate the transfer of new UCSD research and patents to the private sector. The Center also develops courses focused on entrepreneurism for engineering students.

Project Information
Building Owner:		University of California, San Diego
Owner Contact:		Jay Smith, Senior Architect
Building Location:		La Jolla, California UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Teaching and research
Project Delivery Method:		General Contractor
Project Timeline		Mar 1999 Planning Start Jun 1999 Design Start Dec 2000 Construction Start Jan 2003 Completion Last known status: Completed
Project Cost:		$37,061,000
Construction Cost:		$29,000,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$263
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Biomedical Biotechnology Education Education: Biomedical Education: Classroom Education: Lecture Or Seminar Hall Education: Library Engineering Laboratory Laboratory: Biotech Laboratory: Nanotechnology Laboratory: Research Laboratory: Teaching Library Office: Researcher Research Research: Biomedical Vivarium
Total GSF:		109,076
Total NSF:		64,585
Efficiency:		59%
Building Population:		220
People Density:		496 gsf/person
Building Services:		Hot & Cold Water, Industrial Hot & Cold Water, DI Water, Compressed Air (15 psi & 100 psi), Vacuum, Gas
Special Equip:		Confocal Microscopes, Flow Cytometers, Optical Laser, FASCAN, Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Wet Processing Hood, Stereo Lithographer, Radio Isotope Hood
Office Size:		180 NSF
Power Req:		20 watts/sf Lighting Power Requirements: 1.5 watts/sf Laboratory Equipment Power Requirements: 35 watts/sf
HVAC Req:		2.4 cfm/nsf The building utilizes three types of HVAC systems: Offices are served by an HVAC system using re-circulated air. Research labs use a variable air volume system with 100% exhaust. Vivarium spaces use a separate constant air volume system with 100% exhaust.
Structure/Foundation:		Reinforced concrete with shear walls.
Laboratory Parameters
Lab Module:		10'-9
Casework Mat'l:		Plastic laminate casework. Epoxy resin laboratory work surfaces; plastic laminate for write up areas.
Fume Hoods:		CFH (Chemistry Fume Hood): 4 @ 4' 15 @ 5' 2 @ 6' RIH (Radioisotope Hood): 1 @ 4' 1 @ 5'
Biosafety Cabinets:		BSC Type II / B2: 3 @ 4' 3 @ 6' BSC Type II / B3: 12 @ 4' 1 @ 6' BSC Type II / A 3 @ 4' Laminar Flow Hood (wet process hood) 1 @ 8'
Project Team
Architect		CO Architects
Builder		McCarthy Building Companies Inc.
Consultant - Building Engineering		Fundament & Associates
Consultant - Cost Analysis		Davis Langdon Adamson
Engineer - Civil		Flores, Lund & Mobayed
Engineer - Structural		Taylor & Gaines
Laboratory Planner		Research Facilities Design (RFD)
Landscape Architect		Spurlock Poirier Landscape Architects
Supplier - Air Handlers		Temtrol
Supplier - Biosafety Cabinets		Labconco Corporation
Supplier - Building Automation Controls		Johnson Controls Inc.
Supplier - Carpet		Spectra Contract Flooring
Supplier - Casework		Caseworx
Supplier - Elevators		Dover Elevator Systems
Supplier - Fume Hood Controls		Phoenix Controls Corporation
Supplier - Fume Hoods		Kewaunee Scientific Corporation
Profile Created 05/26/2004
Last Updated 04/04/2006
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.

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