The Research and Training Building is located on an existing warehouse site. The building houses a variety of intensive research programs to support and sustain the efforts of the medical community at HMC. The new seven-story building includes two basements and a mechanical penthouse as well as five typical research laboratory floors, a training floor, an imaging center, and a vivarium.

The building has a clear circulation system. A bank of three passenger elevators and a separate service elevator link all floors. Modular layout permits efficient utilization of space as well as flexibility. The design maintains maximum visual awareness of the outdoors from labs, offices, and corridors. The configuration of labs, offices, and support spaces foster interaction and communication in the lab and on each floor.

There are two pedestrian tunnels and one utility tunnel linking the facility to the Harborview Medical Center. Each typical research floor can house 50 people in a non-territorial arrangement. There are 18 general lab modules at the perimeter, and six contiguous flexible lab support modules at the interior. Shafts, stairs, and fixed building and lab support elements are located outside the flexible support area. One office suite per floor can be converted to wet lab space.

The office suites, conference room, and break area are located at the south end of the floor with views to Mt. Rainier. The ground floor training facility contains a 150-seat sloped floor auditorium, three flexible breakout training rooms, and support spaces surrounding a large lobby.

The training facility will accommodate special HMC receptions and will have audiovisual capability. The exterior of the facility images an art deco style of the original Harborview Medical Center buildings. Vertical buff brick piers spring from a granite base. Recessed brick spandrel panels alternate with windows between the piers. Stairs are pulled slightly forward from the facade to create a tower expression that marks the main entrance.