Research activities conducted within the recently opened Center for Nanofabrication and Molecular Self-Assembly provide a scientific basis for important technological advances in the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, and in the monitoring of environmental factors that can cause illness. A special focus of the proposed center will be the development of chemical and biological sensors to detect disease-causing molecular and biological species in the ambient workplace environment. The building includes wet chemistry and computational labs supported by computational and laser laboratories, along with offices, a seminar room and other support spaces.

A physical link between the new building and the adjacent Tech Hall occurs through a series of second level bridges. The particular functional requirements and space needs of the proposed users, reflect the close relationships between researchers, as well as their strong desire to cross fertilize with other disciplines. This fusion of science will stimulate new research approaches. It will also provide the researchers with the ability to share laboratory equipment, thus reducing operating costs.

The University's chemists and materials scientists have pioneered the development of new nanostructured materials and controllable nanoscale assembly methods. The Nanofabrication Center's core faculty are composed of chemists, materials scientists, biomedical engineers, theoreticians, computational modelers and experimentalists, and condensed matter physicists, including Nobel Laureates John Pople and Mark Ratner, leaders in the field of molecular electronics.

Project Information
Building Owner:		Northwestern University
Owner Contact:		Ronald Nayler, Associate VP for Facilities Management
Building Location:		Evanston, IL UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Nanofabrication research Laboratory
Project Timeline		May 1998 Planning Start Design Start Aug 2002 Completion Last known status: Completed
Project Cost:		$32,250,000
Construction Cost:		$28,400,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$375
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Chemistry Computers Education Education: Chemistry Education: Classroom Education: Computer Lab Education: Faculty Office Education: Lecture Or Seminar Hall Laboratory Laboratory: Chemistry Laboratory: Nanotechnology Laboratory: Teaching Laboratory: Wet Research
Total GSF:		86,000
Total NSF:		43,840
Efficiency:		51%
Building Population:		160 +
People Density:		274 gsf/person
Building Services:		Vacuum, compressed air, de-ionized water, nitrogen, hot and cold water, process chilled water
Special Equip:		Lasers, Computer Lab
Power Req:		34 watts/nsf
HVAC Req:		3.2 cfm/nsf
Structure/Foundation:		Cast in place reinforced concrete
Laboratory Parameters
Lab Module:		11' c 30'
Fume Hoods:		112 Chemical
Project Team
Architect		Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP
Consultant - Laboratory Planner		Research Facilities Design (RFD)
Engineer - MEP		BR+A/Bard,Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers Inc.
Engineer - Civil		Terra Engineering
Supplier - Fume Hood Controls		NUAIRE Inc.
Supplier - Fume Hoods		Kewaunee Scientific Corporation
Profile Created 01/10/2003
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.