NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio consists primarily of a constellation of World War II-era brick buildings that lacked a central focus. The new Research Support Building (RSB), designed by TEN Arquitectos, will rectify this and create a nexus for the campus.
The two-story, 60,000-sf facility will rise on the main artery of Lewis Field. The design consists of rectilinear massings (airy volumes of glass and corrugated metal) meant to optimize program adjacencies and creative interactions, and allow for the creation of indoor and outdoor public green spaces.
RSB’s north-south elevated and cantilevered axis provides an extended covered plaza that leads to the entrance and will house a communal dining area, collaborative work space, and a gallery. RSB will include a display of rotating items from NASA’s archives to showcase the many achievements of the Glenn Research Center. Exposed trusses reduce the need for support and create 270-degree views that flood the interior with light.
See Also: This space hotel design from MIT won NASA’s graduate design competition
The main building will comprise dedicated and fluid work areas, open and private offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms, and training rooms. Enclosed double height and landscaped internal courtyards will allow natural light to reach deep into the surrounding work spaces. Also included is an 86,000-sf landscaped lawn known as Wright Commons.
Research Support Building is currently under construction with a 2020 completion target.
Related Stories
| Aug 6, 2014
25 projects win awards for design-build excellence
The 2014 Design-Build Project/Team Awards showcase design-build best practices and celebrate the achievements of owners and design-build teams in nine categories across the spectrum of horizontal and vertical construction.
| Jul 30, 2014
Wolf Point high-rise development begins construction in Chicago
Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, the 48-story luxury residential tower is part of a three-tower mixed-use development along the Chicago River.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 23, 2014
Tallest skyscraper in South Korea now open
The Northeast Asia Trade Tower stands at 308 meters and is the focal point of the Songdo International Business District, a new 310-hectare city built on reclaimed land.
| Jul 23, 2014
Architecture Billings Index up nearly a point in June
AIA reported the June ABI score was 53.5, up from a mark of 52.6 in May.
| Jul 22, 2014
L.A.'s tallest tower to get observation deck
U.S. Bank Tower, as part of a series of improvements, will be getting an observation deck and restaurant at its top.
| Jul 21, 2014
Economists ponder uneven recovery, weigh benefits of big infrastructure [2014 Giants 300 Report]
According to expert forecasters, multifamily projects, the Panama Canal expansion, and the petroleum industry’s “shale gale” could be saving graces for commercial AEC firms seeking growth opportunities in an economy that’s provided its share of recent disappointments.