Project File: Science building to blend with campus

University of California at Riverside campus, Physical Sciences Building 1

Dec. 1, 2003

2 min read

A 135,000-square-foot science building is under construction at the University of California at Riverside campus. Physical Sciences Building 1, a $41 million project, will house 65 to 70 labs, as well as conference facilities, and faculty and graduate student offices. The architect specifically focused on vibration concerns in the instrumentation labs, which impact research and instructional lab work.

The project included the review of six bids, which were within 4.5 percent of each other, and all were under budget.

Faculty users, representatives from the college, the capital planning office and the office of design and construction worked together to select options that would be included if the budget allowed. Working with an organized set of construction documents, the group was able to include all the options they envisioned for the available budget.

Situated directly opposite the science library, the new building forms a gateway to the university's science precinct. A courtyard area will house tables and benches that include power pedestals and benches that allow for Internet connections. Design elements, such as the use of brick and selected metal sunscreen treatments, visually blend the new building into the existing campus architecture. In addition, the roofline exterior was designed to be visually attractive since this was a primary goal of the campus leadership, and it can be viewed by adjacent structures.

The building is expected to be completed in September 2004.

The executive architect for this project is HGA Architects (Los Angeles), and Kallmann McKinnell & Wood (Boston) is the associate architect for design.