Stanford University’s new Innovation Curve Technology Park will certainly embody its name.
Designed by Form4 Architecture of San Francisco, the 13.5-acre Palo Alto campus will have four buildings that feature steep curved roofs that will be fabricated of painted recycled aluminum. The buildings, located on the edge of the Stanford Research Park, will accommodate programs for computer gaming, translation software, and digital inventions.
The wavy roofs reach up to two stories in height and are meant to symbolize the “roller-coaster evolution of innovation,” according to Form4. The process of exploratory research and development is filled with highs and lows (and some stagnation), and the roofs are a testament to that.
Deep overhangs and vertical glass fins shade the building exteriors to control solar heat gain and provide views in and out of the building. The design incorporates deep horizontal sunshades that act as light shelves and solar-controlled skylights.
With intentions of achieving LEED-Platinum certification, the Innovation Curve also has sustainable features like high-efficiency mechanical and electrical systems, high-performance cool roofs, solar power generation, recycling of construction waste, and bioswales landscaped with native plants.
The Innovation Curve buildings are under construction and are expected to be completed by 2017. Also on the Building Team are Vance Brown Builders (contractor), DCI (SE), and M-E Engineers (MEP).
(Click renderings to enlarge)
Related Stories
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 18, 2013
Sustainability expert: Smart building technology can have quick payback
Smart building technology investments typically pay for themselves within one or two years by delivering energy savings and maintenance efficiencies.
| Oct 14, 2013
How to leverage workplaces to attract and retain top talent
Just about every conversation I have related to employee attraction and retention tends to turn into an HR sounding discussion about office protocols, incentives, and perks. But as a workplace strategist, I need to help my clients make more tangible links between their physical workplace and how it can be leveraged to attract and retain top talent. Here are some ideas.
| Oct 10, 2013
Carnegie Mellon study looks at impact of dashboards on energy consumption
A recent study by Carnegie Mellon took a look at the impact of providing feedback in an energy dashboard form to workers and studying how it impacted overall energy consumption.
| Oct 9, 2013
SOM gets second crack at iconic modernist structure in New York
More than 50 years after SOM completed the Manufacturers Hanover Trust building, the firm is asked to restore and modernize the space.
| Oct 7, 2013
Nation's first glass curtain wall exterior restored in San Francisco
The Hallidie Building's glass-and-steel skin is generally recognized as the forerunner of today’s curtain wall facilities.
| Oct 7, 2013
10 award-winning metal building projects
The FDNY Fireboat Firehouse in New York and the Cirrus Logic Building in Austin, Texas, are among nine projects named winners of the 2013 Chairman’s Award by the Metal Construction Association for outstanding design and construction.
| Oct 2, 2013
Corporate HQ in 10 months made possible with BIM coordination
An integrated Building Team uses BIM/VDC to convert a 1940s-era industrial building into a flashy new headquarters for Hillshire Brands in a matter of months.
| Oct 1, 2013
13 structural steel buildings that dazzle
The Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., are among projects named 2013 IDEAS2 winners by the American Institute of Steel Construction.
| Sep 24, 2013
8 grand green roofs (and walls)
A dramatic interior green wall at Drexel University and a massive, 4.4-acre vegetated roof at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City are among the projects honored in the 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.
