UF Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona

The UF Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona is a four-story, 100,000-gsf research, academic, and conferencing facility which enables the University of Florida to continue its mission at the Lake Nona Medical City in Orlando, Fla.

Situated on approximately five acres adjacent to the Burnham Institute, the new building takes a dramatic form to represent the investigative activities housed inside. Academic programs are separated from research activities by a multi-story atrium entry. The internal functions of the building are organized to provide daylighting to the labs and windows for visual relief in the classrooms.

Consistent with the sustainable commitment of UF, the Center has developed energy conservation innovations that will be a part of achieving LEED Gold certification. Incorporating daylight harvesting, sun-shading devices, chilled-beam technology, heat pump recovery for reheat, solar domestic hot water, and other strategies establishes a new standard for research facilities.

The building also helps to establish collaborative relationships between UF researchers and the Burnham Institute, and other Lake Nona “Medical City” institutions to develop a cure for diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The Building program includes the following spaces:

• Research Labs (44,000 nasf)
• Institute on Aging (7,000 nasf)
• Classrooms (17,000 nasf)
• Office/Conference Space/Computer (13,000 nasf)
• Study Areas (2,000 nasf)
• Auditorium (5,000 nasf)
• Commons/Multi-Purpose/Catering Kitchen (8,000 nasf)