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

  • Amazon Expands Lockers to More Than 500 College, University Campuses

    Amazon recently announced that its Locker Network now totals more than 750 locations at more than 500 college and university campuses around the United States, according to a company 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.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.