The $101.6-million, 508,000-gsf facility replaces two 30-year-old science buildings designed when Baylor was half its present size and science education was lecture intensive instead of hands-on and research oriented. In addition to providing flexible and safe facilities, the building will foster connections between the sciences, support diverse teaching and learning styles, increase student-faculty research and interaction, and encourage learning communities outside the classroom.

The main interaction space, the atrium, contains casual soft seating groups, tables and chairs, and a "Java City" café. Open, smaller interaction areas are located at the end of the corridors on each floor and have soft seating, tables and chairs for groups of four, and a white board. The outdoor interaction area, located in a courtyard between two wings, provides seating and power and data connections. All interaction areas have wireless Internet service.

The main hub focuses on the interactive four-story atrium with adjacent classrooms, an auditorium, lecture halls, teaching and research labs, as well as some of the interdisciplinary research centers. Three wings house teaching and research activities and include:

A concrete-framed structure and column bay spacing provides a building-wide solution to control vibrations near the transmission electron microscope and the scanning transmission electron microscope. The NMRs are self-shielding with appropriate gauss line distance separation. The neuroscience department also houses RFI-shielded rooms for special equipment.

Other features include a 1,175-sf greenhouse, designed to meet USDA regulations, that supports aquatic and plant biology research, and a 6,500-sf, AAALAC-certified vivarium housing rats, mice, turtles, and frogs.

Project Information
Building Owner:		Baylor University
Owner Contact:		Richard Creel, Assistant Vice President for Operations and Facilities
Building Location:		Waco, Texas UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Academic Sciences and Teaching Facility
Project Delivery Method:		Design/Build
Project Timeline		Jun 2001 Planning Start Aug 2001 Design Start Jun 2002 Construction Start Aug 2004 Completion Last known status: Completed
Project Cost:		$101,600,000
Construction Cost:		$92,200,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$176
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Aquarium Atrium Auditorium Biochemistry Biology Cafeteria Education Education: Biology Education: Chemistry Education: Physics Geology Greenhouse Laboratory Laboratory: Chemistry Laboratory: Nanotechnology Laboratory: Teaching Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Plant Growth Chambers Research Vivarium
Total GSF:		508,000
Total NSF:		285,000
Efficiency:		56%
Building Population:		5700
People Density:		89.9 gsf/person
Building Services:		DI, CW, HW, Process Chilled Water Supply & Return (PCHWS&R), N2, VAC, Compressed Air (90psi), Lab Air (15 psi), Natural Gas Other Piped Services within Labs: Argon, Helium, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Acetylene, Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, Special Gasses (N2O, AO)
Special Equip:		NMRs, Transmission Electron Microscope, Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
Office Size:		150 NSF
Power Req:		21 watts/gsf
HVAC Req:		2.7 cfm/nsf; 4647 tons of cooling; 112 gsf/ton
Structure/Foundation:		Reinforced concrete frame composed of concrete girders, joists, and floor slabs to the fifth floor penthouse, then structural steel frame of columns, beams, and joists with steel rafters and metal deck. Foundation is drilled piers and grade beams on box voids due to expansive soils.
Laboratory Parameters
Lab Module:		10'-8" x 31'-8"
Casework Mat'l:		Wood casework with resin countertops; prefinished metal casework and stainless steel for special labs as required.
Fume Hoods:		34 @ 4' (Including 4 Radioisotope) 6 @ 5' 143 @ 6' (Including: 1 Perchloric, 7 Accessible, 2 Demo, 3 Radioisotope, 2 Walk-ins) 75 @ 8' (Including 1 Accessible and 3 Walk-ins) 1 @ 10' 1 @ 4' Polyprop. Acid Digestion 1 @ 6' Polyprop. Acid Digestion EdgeGARD Clean Benches 9 @ 4' 2 @ 6'
Biosafety Cabinets:		13 @ 4' Class II, Type A2
Project Team
Architect		Harley Ellis Devereaux
Consultant - Laboratory Planner		Harley Ellis Devereaux
Consultant - Landscape Architect		Harley Ellis Devereaux
Consultant - Wind Analysis		CPP Inc.
Consultant - Wind Tunnel Testing		CPP Inc.
Engineer - MEP		Harley Ellis Devereaux
Engineer - Civil		Harley Ellis Devereaux
Engineer - Structural		Harley Ellis Devereaux
Supplier - Biosafety Cabinets		The Baker Company
Supplier - Clean Benches		The Baker Company
Profile Created 09/01/2004
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.