The University of Pennsylvania’s Board of Trustees has approved the design development for converting a former DuPont laboratory and research warehouse into a seminal component of a new campus hub for entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators, according to ArchDaily.
The three-story, 58,000-sf Pennovation Center, as it’s being called, will be at the heart of Pennovation Works, a blend of offices, labs, and production spaces situated within 23 acres along the Schuykill River and adjacent to the university’s main campus in Philadelphia.
The $37.5 million first phase includes investment for the Pennovation Center, site landscaping, infrastructure improvements, signage and branding. The center is scheduled to open in the summer of 2016.
“The Pennovation Center design creates a truly iconic landmark for Penn’s innovation ecosystem and a dynamic hub for Penn’s culture of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration,” says Amy Gutmann, Penn’s President.
She adds that the center would bring the University’s eminent researchers, scientists, and extraordinary students together with the private sector to “foster creative exploration, entrepreneurship and new alliances and to generate economic development for the region.”
The Building Team on this project includes HWKN as its design architect, KSS Architects (architect of record), Land Collective (landscape architect), Bruce Mau Design (design consultant), Ballinger (structural and MEP engineer), Focus (lighting consultant), and Atelier Ten (sustainability consultant).
Pennovation Center “creates a diverse mix of environments suitable for privacy, collaboration, socialization and the business side of growing a company,” says HWKN Principal Matthias Hollwich.
Two floors of the Pennovation Center are designed to support individual entrepreneurs and startups from the university and the private sector seeking affordable and flexible office space. The center will host workshops, programs, and professional-development resources for the community. These floors will include wet and dry labs with shared lab-support equipment, meeting rooms and social areas.
The Penn Engineering Field Research Center will occupy the third floor, integrating computer science and electrical, mechanical and systems engineering. (Penn Engineering is expected to open its lab in this building in the fall of 2015.)
The design plans show a northern façade of the center that bursts from the grid of the repurposed former industrial warehouse with illuminated angular panes of glass. A series of garage doors on the eastern façade opens directly to studio spaces for some of the teams that will work in the building. The interior design includes a central bleacher space, which organizes an open environment for events and a place for people to network and share ideas.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | May 17, 2016
Foster + Partners-designed towers approved as part of massive neighborhood redevelopment in San Francisco
One of Oceanwide Center’s buildings will be the city’s second tallest.
Architects | May 16, 2016
3 strategies to creating environments that promote workplace engagement
VOA's Pablo Quintana writes that the industry is looking for ways to increase engagement through a mix of spaces suited to employees' desire for both privacy and connection.
Office Buildings | May 9, 2016
Can you make a new building as cool as a warehouse?
CannonDesign's Robert Benson insists that the industry needs to start looking at traditional office spaces differently.
Building Tech | Apr 13, 2016
The Hyperchair gives employees access to their own personal set of climate controls
Not only can the Hyperchair reduce heating and cooling costs and maximize employee comfort, but it can help a company become more environmentally friendly, as well.
Architects | Mar 20, 2016
Ars Gratia Artis: A North Carolina architect emphasizes the value of art in its designs
Turan Duda says clients are receptive, but the art must still be integral to the building’s overall vision.
Office Buildings | Mar 16, 2016
Google releases new plans and renderings of its Mountain View campus
The original canopy design scheme is still in place, but the plans now call for it to be opaque.
Office Buildings | Mar 10, 2016
Expedia unveils design for Seattle waterfront campus
Transparency and outdoor areas will give the complex a Pacific Northwest vibe.
Office Buildings | Mar 9, 2016
CBRE: Workplace wellness on the rise
As insurance premiums and deductibles continue to rise, both employees and employers are evaluating options to improve their wellbeing, writes CBRE Healthcare Managing Director Craig Beam.
Market Data | Mar 6, 2016
Real estate execs measure success by how well they manage ‘talent,’ costs, and growth
A new CBRE survey finds more companies leaning toward “smarter” workspaces.
Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2016
HDR redesigns Twin Cities' studio to have coffee shop vibe
With open spaces, huddle rooms, and a design lab, the firm's new digs are drastically different than the old studio, which felt like working in a law office. Design Principal Mike Rodriguez highlights HDR's renovation plan.
