The University of California San Diego has approved plans for a new Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building, with construction starting this fall. The 200,000-sf, six-level facility will be the first building on the UC San Diego campus to bridge health science research with biological science research and teaching.
The facility aims to help meet a growing demand for modern teaching and research space across disciplines at UC San Diego Health Sciences and the School of Biological Sciences. Research and teaching will focus on the intersection of neurodegenerative disease, inflammation, immunology, and infectious disease—using advanced technologies to drive discovery in academia and industry.
The design by Flad Architects creates scientific neighborhoods that support interdisciplinary collaboration and education at the interface of biology, machine learning, and advanced instrumentation. The research laboratories enable flexibility in response to changing programs and research, while the teaching laboratories integrate experimentation, instrumentation, and computational analysis.
![UC San Diego’s new Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building will support research and teaching in both health and biological sciences Photo courtesy Flad Architects](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UCSD_aerial_photo.jpg)
The building program also includes shared research facilities, collaborative meeting areas, conference rooms, offices, and public spaces.
In the glass façade, perforated concrete fins serve both as a shading device and as a light shelf reflecting natural light into the building. The massing also creates outdoor terraces on each floor. The building’s upper floors are offset, creating the appearance of rotated stacks. The street level, with biological science classrooms and shared meeting rooms, will put science on display.
“The Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building will help solidify UC San Diego’s standing as a premier research institution in the field of neurobiology,” John M. Carethers, MD, vice chancellor for health sciences at UC San Diego, said in a press statement.
The project is designed to meet LEED Gold certification at a minimum. Construction on the site, currently a parking lot and service road, is expected to start in fall 2024 and conclude in 2027.
On the Building Team:
Design architect and architect of record: Flad Architects
MEP engineer: Salas O’Brien
Structural engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers
Construction manager: McCarthy
Related Stories
University Buildings | May 13, 2021
Cedarville University's new dining facility includes a 300-seat Chick-fil-A
DesignGroup designed the project.
University Buildings | May 13, 2021
Education Building II at UC Riverside receives final approval
Hensel Phelps + CO Architects will be the design-build team for the project.
Healthcare Facilities | May 5, 2021
HOK to design new Waterloo Eye Institute
The project is being designed for The University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science.
University Buildings | May 4, 2021
UMass Medical School’s new Education and Research Building
ZGF and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge are designing the project.
University Buildings | Apr 29, 2021
Perkins&Will to design new gateway building for the University of British Columbia
The building will transform the arrival experience for students, staff, and visitors.
University Buildings | Apr 29, 2021
The Weekly Show, April 29, 2021: COVID-19's impact on campus planning, and bird management strategies
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C Senior Editor John Caulfield interviews a duo of industry experts on 1) how campus planning has changed during the pandemic and 2) managing bird infestations on construction sites and completed buildings.
University Buildings | Apr 19, 2021
Duke University’s Wilkinson Building completes
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed the project.
University Buildings | Apr 15, 2021
Tennessee Tech University’s new recreation and fitness center opens
Wold | HFR Design designed the project.
University Buildings | Apr 12, 2021
University of California Santa Barbara breaks ground on new Classroom Building
LMN Architects designed the project.
University Buildings | Apr 1, 2021
KPF unveils design of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology campus
The project will be built over two phases.