In St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation District, Washington University School of Medicine recently opened its new Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building.
Designed by CannonDesign and Perkins&Will, the 11-story, 609,000-sf facility is one of the largest neuroscience buildings in the world, according to a statement from McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., the project’s construction manager.
Intended to advance research in areas such as Alzheimer’s disease and brain tumors, the $616 million facility currently accommodates 1,000 faculty and staff members, including 95 research teams. In the future, additional space could be constructed to accommodate an additional 350 faculty and staff members, including about 145 research teams.
The project faced labor and supply chain challenges when construction started in spring 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the project finished on budget and on schedule. McCarthy attributes this success to effective pre-project planning and the use of lean construction techniques.
“Early collaboration played a pivotal role in the success of this project,” Andy Poirot, vice president and project executive, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., said in the statement. “We successfully realized the client’s vision, delivering a cutting-edge research facility poised to enhance lives for generations to come.”
Prefabrication and 3D modeling also helped the team overcome the project constraints. About 90% of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems were prefabricated and tested before installation onsite. Prefab components both improved quality and reduced the number of onsite professionals needed for MEP installation. The building’s façade, with a unitized curtain wall, also was prefabricated.
In addition to the research building, the facility features a parking structure with 1,846 vehicle spaces as well as bicycle racks and electric vehicle charging stations. A 1,000-ft elevated pedestrian connection spans 360 ft, connecting the new building to an existing parking garage and surrounding structures. The project also includes a two-story, 24,775-sf utility plant.
The project is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.
On the Building Team:
Owner: Washington University School of Medicine
Architect of record and structural engineer: CannonDesign
Design architect: Perkins&Will
MEP engineer: Affiliated Engineers, Inc., with CannonDesign also on mechanicals
Construction manager: McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., partnered with Tarlton Corporation and KAI Enterprises
Related Stories
University Buildings | Sep 27, 2023
Top 170 University Building Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, CannonDesign, Page Southerland Page, SmithGroup, and Ayers Saint Gross top the ranking of the nation's largest university sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Affordable Housing | Sep 25, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that serve as social catalysts
Trish Donnally, Associate Principal, Perkins Eastman, shares insights from three transformative affordable housing projects.
Adaptive Reuse | Sep 19, 2023
Transforming shopping malls into 21st century neighborhoods
As we reimagine the antiquated shopping mall, Marc Asnis, AICP, Associate, Perkins&Will, details four first steps to consider.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Higher Education | Aug 22, 2023
How boldly uniting divergent disciplines boosts students’ career viability
CannonDesign's Charles Smith and Patricia Bou argue that spaces designed for interdisciplinary learning will help fuel a strong, resilient generation of students in an ever-changing economy.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 17, 2023
How to design for adaptive reuse: Don’t reinvent the wheel
Gresham Smith demonstrates the opportunities of adaptive reuse, specifically reusing empty big-box retail and malls, many of which sit unused or underutilized across the country.
Higher Education | Aug 7, 2023
Building a better academic workplace
Gensler's David Craig and Melany Park show how agile, efficient workplaces bring university faculty and staff closer together while supporting individual needs.
University Buildings | Aug 7, 2023
Eight-story Vancouver Community College building dedicated to clean energy, electric vehicle education
The Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation, to be designed by Stantec, will house classrooms, labs, a library and learning center, an Indigenous gathering space, administrative offices, and multiple collaborative learning spaces.
