The new building is sited on the southwest corner of the 11-acre parcel of land designated for the Research and Education Complex. It is prominently positioned across from Martin Stadium on Stadium Way, the main road through campus, and is within easy walking distance of the central campus, student services, and the student union building.

The Schools of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences are located within the Plant Biosciences Building and support a wide range of plant bioscience classes. The four-story, 93,700-gsf building, combines 36 research labs, four teaching labs and associated support spaces; a study hall and common areas to foster interaction between teachers, students, and researchers; and storage and display areas for plant materials.

The main goal for the building is to utilize highly flexible design to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing educational facility that establishes a distinct look and feel for the Research and Education Complex.

Levels two through four house research labs and lab support. Support space includes general lab support as well as specialized growth chambers and major instrument rooms. Level one includes teaching labs, a study hall, and common areas. A large archive of plant specimens is housed below-grade.

The labs are designed with adaptable floor plans that can be customized by users. Rather than being grouped by department, they are clustered by similar interests to encourage sharing of resources and discussion between disciplines. Directly connected both side-by-side and through the hallways, the labs are intended to foster interaction between teachers, students, and researchers. They are linked by a three-story atrium and staircase with gathering and conference space at the base level.

The atrium features an undulating golden wall meant to recall the rolling hills of Palouse. A natural color palette is used throughout including warm white, soft oak, charcoal porcelain and granite flooring, and stainless steel accents. The main granite staircase features a slate wall, inspired by old-fashioned chalkboards, with a high level finish providing sophisticated look.

Greenhouse display and multi-use interaction areas are placed at one end of each research floor and are highlighted with large areas of glass and a unique sun shading system including stainless steel screens. In the labs, custom-made aluminum sunshades help filter and soften outside light.

The exterior expression of the building is a modern interpretation of Washington State University's academic architecture, featuring core campus materials of brick and glass. Elements of distinction are highlighted architecturally by use of glass and metal panels on the greenhouse display and common areas on the south end of the building.

Project Information
Building Owner:		Washington State University
Building Location:		Pullman, Washington UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Houses schools of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, and supports plant bioscience classes and associated research.
Project Delivery Method:		General Contractor
Project Timeline		Jan 2000 Planning Start Mar 2002 Design Start Jul 2003 Construction Start Sep 2005 Completion Last known status: Completed
Project Cost:		$39,000,000
Construction Cost:		$30,000,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$320
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Ecology Education Education: Biology Education: Classroom Education: Lecture Or Seminar Hall Education: Library Environmental Science Greenhouse Laboratory: Research Laboratory: Teaching Life Sciences Plant Growth Chambers
Total GSF:		93,700
Total NSF:		74,795
Efficiency:		80%
Building Population:		555
People Density:		169 gsf/person
Building Services:		DI, natural gas, compressed air, vacuum
Special Equip:		Cold rooms
Power Req:		Lighting = 1.06 w.sf Total = 34.83 w/sf
Structure/Foundation:		Braced steel frame, spread footings, and auger cast piles
Laboratory Parameters
Lab Module:		10' 6" x 10'
Casework Mat'l:		Plastic laminate
Fume Hoods:		2 @ 4'; 1 @ 5'; 35 @ 6'
Biosafety Cabinets:		Class IIA: 1 @ 4'; 1 @ 6'
Project Team
Architect		Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP
Builder		Skanska USA Building Inc.
Consultant - Wind Analysis		CPP Inc.
Supplier - Biosafety Cabinets		NUAIRE Inc.
Profile Created 07/01/2006
Last Updated 07/27/2006
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.