Biotechnology, Sciences and Engineering Building

Collaboration and interaction are the overarching drivers of the BSEB’s design. The main entrance offers a gallery space flanked with glass-fronted cases for departmental displays that provide an area for communication and points of interaction. A bistro serves the atrium floor, with an adjacent outdoor dining patio feature. These features provide easy access to the departmental faculty offices, which are grouped together on the first floor. This supports interaction among the faculty, researchers, and other users of the building and offers a featured attraction to other faculty and students on the campus. The BSEB extends the campus to incorporate the influence of the sciences. Its design is compatible with the architectural guidelines, the style, and the character of the UTSA campus facilities. Exterior facades are modulated to keep the five-story building in scale with the existing three-story buildings on the campus. The successful BSEB is planned to facilitate future expansion of the engineering and sciences area on campus. It takes advantage of and continues with the use of an upper level of paseos and courtyards that are defining the Science and Engineering complex. This research facility anchors the Engineering and Sciences “nexus” and is a major investment in UTSA’s bid to become a “Tier 1” research campus.

Project Information

Building Owner:

University of Texas, San Antonio

Building Location:

San Antonio, Texas UNITED STATES

Project Type:

New Construction

Principal Building Function:

Research and teaching laboratories

Project Timeline

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

Project Cost:

$84,000,000

Construction Cost:

$60,210,000

About These Cost Figures

Building Information

Project Includes:

Atrium
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Education
Education: Chemistry
Education: Faculty Office
Education: Life Sciences
Engineering
Laboratory: Research
Laboratory: Teaching
Life Sciences
Vivarium

Total GSF:

216,000

Project Team

Architect

FKP Architects

Builder

Vaughn Construction

Engineer - MEP

HMG & Associates, Inc.

Engineer - Structural

Jaster Quintanilla

Laboratory Planner

Research Facilities Design (RFD)

Supplier - Building Automation Controls

Siemens Building Technologies

Supplier - Ceiling

USG Interiors Inc.

Supplier - Elevators

Thyssen Krupp

Supplier - Flooring

Mannington Commercial Inc.

Supplier - HVAC

Trane Company

Profile Created 10/01/2006

Last Updated 11/06/2006

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.

Fig. 1

Exterior

Fig. 2

Lab Interior

Fig. 3

Display Wall

Fig. 4

Atrium