University Research Park (URP) recently partnered with Valerio Dewalt Train (VDT) to produce a master plan meant to enliven and densify the office park’s existing facilities. A master plan was created with the intention of carving a new road from a bordering main artery street and adding below-grade parking to leave the ground level open for public space and amenities accessible by foot.
The master plan caught the eye of Exact Sciences, a molecular diagnostics company, which led to the company committing to working with URP and VDT to design an office building to serve as its headquarters. The new facility would bring together their executive and R&D teams into a single, collaborative, amenity-rich space.
The 135,000-sf building’s final design, which was shaped by biophilic design principles, comprises two interconnected volumes that sit on the northeast corner of the newly platted site, directly linking to the R&D labs on the south-eastern side. The curving enclosure of the primary volume is composed of bands of glass, ceramic print panels, and a zinc cladding that will patina over time. The exposed concrete structure lifts the organically shaped upper floors to give the appearance that the building is floating over the ground plane and exposing the wooden finish of its underbelly.
A double-height lobby is inset underneath while the second floor connects to the southern volume with a large cafeteria space expressed on the exterior with a rectilinear balcony that meets the street. The adjacent glass and steel volume, dubbed “the link,” connects to the labs with a stair and backlit panels that glow during evening hours.
Levels three through five feature desks, meeting rooms, and office amenities. Vertical circulation and services are tucked into the building’s core, which pushes the desk areas to the periphery to provide employees with unobstructed access to natural light and exterior views via floor-to-ceiling glazing. Additionally, three levels of parking are tucked beneath the ground plane.
Along with VDT, the build team also included Potter Lawson (interior designer), Findorff (general contractor), Smith Group (civil engineer), Thornton Tomassetti (structural engineer), and AEI (MEP and fire protection).
Related Stories
Products and Materials | Sep 29, 2023
Top building products for September 2023
BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from smart light switches to glass wall systems.
Office Buildings | Sep 28, 2023
Structural engineering solutions for office-to-residential conversion
IMEG's Edwin Dean, Joe Gulden, and Doug Sweeney, share seven key focuses for structural engineers when planning office-to-residential conversions.
Mixed-Use | Sep 20, 2023
Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize deal for a stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it has reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf.
Giants 400 | Sep 18, 2023
Top 90 Office Building Engineering Firms for 2023
Jacobs, WSP, Alfa Tech, and AECOM head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office building sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all office building work, including core and shell projects and workplace/interior fitouts.
Giants 400 | Sep 18, 2023
Top 120 Office Building Construction Firms for 2023
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, AECOM, and DPR Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office building sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all office building work, including core and shell projects and workplace/interior fitouts.
Giants 400 | Sep 18, 2023
Top 200 Office Building Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, Stantec, HOK, and Interior Architects top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office building sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all office building work, including core and shell projects and workplace/interior fitouts.
Adaptive Reuse | Sep 15, 2023
Salt Lake City’s Frank E. Moss U.S. Courthouse will transform into a modern workplace for federal agencies
In downtown Salt Lake City, the Frank E. Moss U.S. Courthouse is being transformed into a modern workplace for about a dozen federal agencies. By providing offices for agencies previously housed elsewhere, the adaptive reuse project is expected to realize an annual savings for the federal government of up to $6 million in lease costs.
Office Buildings | Sep 14, 2023
New York office revamp by Kohn Pedersen Fox features new façade raising occupant comfort, reducing energy use
The modernization of a mid-century Midtown Manhattan office tower features a new façade intended to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy consumption. The building, at 666 Fifth Avenue, was originally designed by Carson & Lundin. First opened in November 1957 when it was considered cutting-edge, the original façade of the 500-foot-tall modernist skyscraper was highly inefficient by today’s energy efficiency standards.
Designers | Sep 5, 2023
Optimizing interior design for human health
Page Southerland Page demonstrates how interior design influences our mood, mental health, and physical comfort.
Office Buildings | Aug 31, 2023
About 11% of U.S. office buildings could be suitable for green office-to-residential conversions
A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper from researchers at New York University and Columbia Business School indicates that about 11% of U.S. office buildings may be suitable for conversion to green multifamily properties.
