University of Southern California Plans Discovery and Translational Hub

The University of Southern California is planning to construct the $315 million Discovery and Translational Hub on its Health Sciences Campus in Los Angeles. Designed by SmithGroup, the seven-story, 220,000-sf building will provide advanced biomedical research environments in a ratio of 75 percent wet lab to 25 percent dry lab. Sited atop two additional levels of subterranean shell space, the state-of-the-art facility will include collaboration areas, offices, meeting venues, a biorepository, and a core lab for medicinal chemistry. With a physical connection to the adjacent Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, the development will also offer a multipurpose auditorium and a range of outdoor settings.

Targeting LEED Platinum certification, the sustainably designed structure will feature a sophisticated façade that leverages high-performance glazing and passive louver screens to reduce energy consumption while admitting natural light. The project team includes civil and structural engineer KPFF, acoustics and vibration consultant Colin Gordon Associates, elevator engineer Lerch Bates, and wind consultant Cermak Peterka Petersen. A construction timeline has yet to be determined.