Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Washington

Molecular Engineering & Sciences Building

  • 12/01/13
University of Washington

PHOTOS © BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER

The University of Washington in Seattle desired a facility to accommodate growth in molecular engineering; respond to the evolving interdisciplinary nature of teaching and research; and fit within an area of campus that is home to recently revitalized facilities, as well as traditional campus architecture. Research within the building will lead to new discoveries with beneficial implications for major societal challenges ranging from energy, sustainability, and the environment to information technology to affordable and effective healthcare.

Designed by ZGF Architects LLP, the project provides the necessary research laboratories and faculty offices to bring together students and researchers across science and engineering disciplines, which were previously dispersed throughout the campus. Associated molecular and nanotechnology instrumentation is also consolidated into the new facility to provide greater synergy and enhanced research capabilities. The integrated design provides tight adjacency between offices and research laboratories to encourage and facilitate collaboration between various disciplines. A further goal was for the facility to support the university’s commitment to advancing environmental stewardship by targeting new energy-saving strategies in a technically challenging laboratory environment.

The performance-driven design encompasses technical systems integration, while simultaneously addressing the environmental impacts of the technologies.

The 90,000-square-foot, five-story building, providing light-filled above-grade office, laboratory and common spaces, is the foundation for the master planned 160,000-squarefoot two-phase project. As part of Phase 1, ground and basement level instrumentation labs meet ultra-low vibration and electromagnetic interference requirements, and allow all regularly occupied research labs and offices to take advantage of daylight and views.

The five-story building provides the optimum program for the site. The narrow building footprint supports natural ventilation and daylighting strategies. Daylight from N, S, E and W compass coordinates improves user experience, encourages interaction, and provides transparency and connectivity between laboratory and office researchers on all four floors of regularly occupied building space.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management December 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.