Concept

The building includes 240 labs, 120 offices, 16 break rooms, 12 conference rooms, a 300-seat auditorium, 3 combinable seminar rooms, and an underground vivarium. Its form expresses primary programmatic functions while responding to multiple site considerations including student pathways and continuity with the adjacent green space, effectively linking the academic and medical center campuses.

© Jeff Goldberg/Esto

© Jeff Goldberg/Esto Creating a building whose design would sponsor increased interaction among researchers, lab technicians and students and whose image and efficiency would serve as a recruiting tool by persuading top researchers to join the University of Michigan, were critical goals.

To promote the serendipitous encounters that have been productive in promoting interdisciplinary invention, destinations such as break rooms, rest rooms and conference rooms were located at the circulation crossroads and eddy space was provided to accommodate the lingering moment and casual conversation.