Photo courtesy of MBT Architects

Completed in September 2003, the 245,000-gsf building has three wings, three floors, a partial basement, and 146,000 nsf of laboratory space. Designing around the initiatives of biocomputation, biophysics, regenerative medicine, genomics and proteomics, chemical biology, and biodesign forced the team to develop generic lab solutions rather than specific lab plans. The $146.6 million project has a comfortable environment and flexible labs that are expected to accommodate between 600 and 700 people when the building is fully occupied.

Innovative flexible, 10'-high work spaces include accessible utilities, mobile casework, and adaptable infrastructure. Sealed epoxy floors allow work areas to be utilized as wet or dry labs. A Unistrut ceiling and racks provide drop-down access to standard utility services, such as gas, air, vacuum, electricity, and water. The Unistrut drops are mobile and can be moved easily and inexpensively by unscrewing a few bolts, so that lab spaces can be converted to wet or dry areas to accommodate each researcher’s work. Sinks are the only items that are not mobile.

Each stage of the final laboratory and office design was evaluated using a full-size mock up of actual materials and systems. The result is a layout that meets the unique user needs and desires of a modular, flexible organization of laboratories and offices.

Interaction is encouraged with regionally shared facilities, a café, seminar rooms, and an auditorium. Fifteen percent of the building is dedicated to public functions such as conference rooms and classrooms, while nine percent consists of facilities that are shared by people within the Center. The shared facilities include small animal imaging, biocomputation collaboratories, central glasswash, and media prep.

Collaboration is unavoidable by way of the building’s unique design which features open labs, plenty of social spaces, and shared instrumentation. There are no interior corridors in the building and the inner courtyards are completely glass. Researchers on the second floor can look across the courtyard into other laboratories. Bridges connect the wings of the building and a raised platform in the center of the courtyard can be used as a stage for lectures or concerts.

Project Information
Building Owner:		Stanford University
Building Location:		Palo Alto, California UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Interdisciplinary research and laboratories
Project Delivery Method:		Fast Track
Project Timeline		Jun 2001 Construction Start Sep 2003 Completion Last known status: Completed
Project Cost:		$146,600,000
Construction Cost:		$100,300,000
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Auditorium Biochemistry Biotechnology Chemistry Education Education: Biomedical Education: Chemistry Education: Classroom Education: Lecture Or Seminar Hall Genomics Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory Laboratory: Biomedical Research Laboratory: Chemistry Laboratory: Dry And Wet Laboratory: Research Office: Researcher Research
Total GSF:		245,200
Total NSF:		146,073
Efficiency:		60%
Building Population:		40
Project Team
Architect		MBT Architecture
Architect - Design		Foster & Partners
Builder		Hathaway Dinwiddle Construction Company
Consultant - Accoustical		Charles M. Salter
Consultant - Cost Analysis		Davis Langdon Adamson
Consultant - Plumbing		Therma, Inc.
Consultant - Vibration		Wilson Ihrig & Associates
Engineer - Civil		Brian Kangas Faulk
Engineer - Electrical		Cupertino Electric
Engineer - Mechanical		Alfa Tech Consulting Engineers
Engineer - Structural		Middlebrook & Louie
Landscape Architect		Peter Walker and Partners
Supplier - Accoustical Ceiling Tile		Armstrong World Industries
Supplier - Carpet		Pacificrest Mills
Supplier - Casework		ISEC Inc.
Supplier - Casework		Fisher Hamilton
Supplier - Curtainwall		Pohl Inc.
Supplier - Elevators		Schindler Elevator Corporation
Supplier - Exterior Skin		Marlite Surface Systems
Supplier - Fire Protection		Northstar Fire Protection
Supplier - Laboratory Fixtures		Broen Lab Inc.
Supplier - Laboratory Fixtures		WaterSaver Faucet Co.
Profile Created 08/01/2007
Last Updated 09/03/2007
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.

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