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

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.