Administrators at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington didn’t think much of the 1970s building they planned to turn into the school’s Cell and Genome Sciences Building. It’s not that the former toxicology research facility was in such terrible shape, but the 117,800-sf structure had almost no windows and its interior was dark and chopped up.
Enter the Building Team of Goody Clancy (architect) and FIP Construction (GC), who worked with the university to create an open, bright, and sustainable home (targeting LEED Silver) for three major research programs: UConn Stem Cell Institute, the R.D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, and the Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology.
But how to get daylight deep into the lab spaces? Fortunately, the one-story framework allowed light to be brought in from above. The Building Team ran a 464-foot-long skylight the length of the main corridor, and clerestory windows were installed above the “Crossroads,” a central gathering and eating space that features a newly raised roof.
Additional daylighting comes from 56 new windows installed in exterior walls—not an easy task, given the building’s concrete panel construction. The team calculated the maximum window size allowable without compromising the panels and then standardized all windows to that size. Louvered sunshades were added above each of these.
Interior walls were also punched through with window openings to further distribute daylight. Leaving interior walls largely in place also kept construction costs down, to $259/sf (inclusive of site work). Also helping the budget: refurbishing and reconfiguring existing metal casework in research labs, which were extensively upgraded to modern research and safety standards, and finishing the new 100-seat auditorium in wood paneling left over from another campus project.
The facility’s wetlands site was carefully reconfigured to accommodate extra parking, and a bioretention pond was added to control runoff and keep stormwater out of the town’s sewer system. Also, because the existing building lacked a recognizable “front door,” a proper front entrance was added.
“It’s very difficult to do these types of buildings, and this one was very well done,” said David Callan, SVP, Environmental Systems Design, Chicago. “Excellent job on a low budget.” BD+C
PROJECT SUMMARY
Building Team
Submitting firm: Goody Clancy (architect)
Owner/developer: University of Connecticut Health Center
CM: FIP Construction
Structural engineer: LeMessurier Consultants Inc.
M/E engineer: Cosentini Associates
Plumbing engineer: BVH Integrated Services
General Information
Size: 117,813 gsf
Construction cost: $30.53 million
Construction time: September 2008 to June 2010
Delivery method: CM at risk
Related Stories
Architects | Nov 18, 2016
A Frank Lloyd Wright building in Montana will soon be demolished, or will it?
The building is one of only three Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings in the state.
Architects | Nov 11, 2016
Six finalists selected for London’s Illuminated River competition
The competition is searching for the best design for lighting the bridges of central London.
Healthcare Facilities | Nov 10, 2016
Prescription for success: Managing technology in the design of healthcare facilities
While the benefits of intelligently deployed technology are abundantly clear to both designers and healthcare end-users, it’s no simple task to manage the integration of technology into a building program.
Industry Research | Nov 4, 2016
New survey exposes achievement gap between men and women designers
Female architects still feel disadvantaged when it comes to career advancement.
Architects | Nov 2, 2016
NCARB launches ARE 5.0
The newest version of the exam required for an architecture license, ARE 5.0, launched on Nov. 1.
Architects | Oct 24, 2016
Winners of the 2016 AAP American Architecture Prize announced
The AAP recognizes the most outstanding architecture worldwide across three disciplines: architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture.
Architects | Oct 21, 2016
A process of analysis and synthesis gives architects and designers the information they need to create
Sometimes people look only for the simple answer and don’t understand that there is a calculated process to get there, writes HDR’s Lynn Mignola.
Architects | Oct 21, 2016
The AIA Innovation Award Recipients have been selected
The program honors projects that highlight collaboration between design and construction teams to create better process efficiencies and overall costs savings.
Architects | Oct 21, 2016
NASA Orbit Pavilion to debut at The Huntington Library at the end of October
The pavilion uses sound to represent the movement of the International Space Station and 19 earth satellites.
Higher Education | Oct 20, 2016
Designing innovative campuses for tomorrow's students
Planning for places that foster effective innovation is still an emerging process, but the constant pressure on universities to do so continues from two of their key institutional constituencies—students and employers, writes Perkins+Will's Ken Higa and Josh Vel.
