University of Washington, School of Medicine, South Lake Union 3.1

The seven-story “3.1” research building on the University of Washington Medical School’s South Lake Union campus adds 160,000 nsf of research and research support space for more than 300 occupants to a seven-building master plan totaling 1.2 million gsf.

The research lab floors feature an open lab plan that fosters communication and collaboration between the researchers and gives the School of Medicine a plan that adapts with the ever-changing researcher needs. The researchers’ offices are pulled out of the lab areas, with unobstructed views from the office to the lab and expansive internal and external glazing to bring daylight and exterior views deep into the central lab.

The building brings together researchers focused on kidney disease, vision sciences, immunology, rheumatology, and infectious diseases, advancing the understanding of multiple sclerosis, malaria, and lupus. It contains several gathering places for cross-disciplinary conversations, a casual conference room with comfortable furnishings, and two large seminar rooms with videoconferencing capabilities that will help connect the South Lake Union facility with other University Health Sciences facilities and institutions worldwide.

Other research fields represented on campus include regenerative medicine and stem cell research, lung inflammation, cancer vaccine development, diabetes and obesity, and mitochondrial medicine. The School of Medicine campus is co-located with the Fred Hutchinson Research Center, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, PATH, Nova Nordisk, and Merck/Rosetta Informatics.

Chilled beams, high-efficiency boilers, heat recovery chillers, exhaust air energy recovery, a rainwater cistern, and lighting controls contributed to a LEED Gold certification.

The campus development won the 2014 Innovation Project Award from the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP).