Planning for the new $80 million multidisciplinary science building is moving forward deliberately, as architects begin discussing ways to integrate various scientific fields.
The project is still in its earliest stages, but its architects are already articulating a vision for the space. Planners hope the new structure, which will be constructed behind the Biological Sciences Building, will be an area where researchers from several departments work together and interact on a regular basis.
But creating such an interdisciplinary atmosphere must start at the initial planning, say the project's architects at Moore Ruble Yudell, who for the past three months have been meeting with faculty members from the departments involved.
"I think one of the reasons we were chosen is that we suggested a very hands-on approach to the planning to really involve the researchers into the planning process, and the sooner you can do that the better," said architect Michael Martin.
The disciplines that may share the new space--biological anthropology and anatomy, biology, chemistry and physics--are so varied, Martin said, that creating a structure acceptable to them all will be difficult. For example, Martin said, something as simple as the height of ceilings can vary widely depending on the field of research, with chemistry laboratories usually requiring lower ceilings than biology laboratories.
"How you weave those things together is going to be one of the crux issues when you try to make those kinds of connections among departments," Martin said.
Such details will be the focus of the planning over perhaps the next year as Martin and others from the firm discuss with University administrators and professors the needs of a modern interdisciplinary space. In addition, they are examining building aesthetics that encourage such connections.
"The whole issue of integrating science is just trying to optimize... moving those people around so that there are real physical connections," said Kathleen Smith, chair of the biology department. "It's not about a different kind of lab or a different kind of setup. It's really about having people pass each other on a daily basis and interact with one another."
Creating those physical connections could be especially difficult considering the topography of the area and the age of the surrounding buildings. The new structure, which will be at least 110,000 square feet, will likely be on a different level than the other science buildings surrounding it. In addition, buildings such as Gross Chemistry Laboratory and Biological Sciences were constructed at different times and with different materials.
Moore Ruble Yudell has worked on projects with similar difficulties, including a recently constructed science complex at the University of Oregon.
University architect John Pearce said such challenges could make creating a "science quad," as described in the University's master plan, particularly difficult. With the right connections, however, he said a new building could be successfully integrated.
"Hopefully the change will be something like that in the athletic and recreation complex, where five years ago it was a disparate group of buildings not connected in any way and now it looks like a group of buildings in conversation with each other," Pearce said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.