Adaptable, progressive design will support leading-edge science
Seattle—LMN Architects announces the groundbreaking of the new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) serves UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering, the Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Science, and the School of Physical Sciences. Inspired by the University’s commitment to interdisciplinary science and engineering research and it’s potential to solve the challenges of today and the future, the building is conceived as a catalyst for research innovation as well as a new model of cross-disciplinary collaboration. The six-story, 204,750-gross-square-foot facility will set a new standard for the future of research programs at UCI. Every aspect of the building’s design is conceived to optimize research functionality, foster social performance, and enrich the overall campus experience.
“Leading-edge science deserves a facility that supports exploration, now and into the future,” notes John Chau, AIA, LEED AP, Partner at LMN. “By studying the building program both holistically and as a set of individual parts —offices, labs, circulation and gathering spaces —we were able to conceive of each as an armature suited to its own set of needs. In this way, we are able to maximize the ability of each space to adapt at its own rate and for its own purpose.”
The ISEB’s site design employs pedestrian-oriented spaces that connect the building into the overall fabric of campus landscape, enhancing the existing social, environmental, aesthetic and functional qualities of the campus. The L-shaped building will be organized as three distinct volumes: a “Jewel Box” glass-and-concrete tower that will provide collaboration and office space for the Principal Investigators who lead the research; a glass and precast concrete “Lab Bar” to house a variety of highly adaptable laboratories; and a transparent, glass-wrapped connector dubbed the “Community Hub,” which will connect the Jewel Box with the labs and serve as the focal point for collaborative engagement across research disciplines. An outdoor courtyard on the fourth floor of the Community Hub will provide a public gathering space, bringing daylight deep through courtyards and plazas around the building.
Each facade of the building responds to its specific environmental conditions, optimizing daylighting, internal comfort and energy efficiency. The building features a combination of materials that are tuned to the specific environmental conditions, including enhanced clarity low-iron glass, sculptural precast concrete panels, and metal cladding and fins. Indoor-outdoor relationships will be achieved through design strategies that capitalize on the unique, temperate climate and natural beauty of the campus. The project is targeting LEED Platinum certification (specifically, LEED for New Construction v2009). The design incorporates several features that meet sustainable programs that go beyond LEED, including the Well Building Standard, UCI Smart Labs Initiative, and Labs 21 enhancements.
“The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building is a physical manifestation of UCI’s Strategic Plan and represents the future of research for the institution,” notes Brian Pratt, AIA, LEED AP, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Campus Architect at UCI. “This remarkable design will foster the collaborative research necessary to solve society’s ‘Great Challenges.’”
Won through a design-build competition, the project is the fourth consecutive building on campus to be designed and delivered by LMN Architects and Hathaway Dinwiddie. Project completion is anticipated for fall 2020.
Project team
University of California, Irvine (client)
LMN Architects (architecture and interior design)
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company (design-build contractor)
Research Facilities Design (laboratory planning and design)
Saiful Bouquet (structural engineer)
Alvine Engineering (MEP engineer)
Stantec (acoustics)
AHBE (landscape architecture)
FPL and Associates (civil engineer)
