2006 SCUP/AIA-CAE Awards

Honor Award for Excellence in New Campus Architecture

The Interdisciplinary Science + Technology II Building at Arizona State University's Main Campus in Tempe with Richard + Bauer Architecture in Phoenix

Click to view a pdf presentation of the project.

Arizona State University's commitment to scientific research resulted in the need for a variety of research facilities for high profile programs across its campuses. The $13.5M, 66,000 square feet, Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building II is designed to meet the needs of engineering and physical sciences for the campus.

The building is designed as a flexible armature of large open loft lab spaces, easily adaptable for specific short term needs. The initial desire from the university was for a low cost tilt slab concrete box, a simple replacement for existing buildings being displaced by construction elsewhere on the campus.

A more complex building was needed, however, and it was built for the same cost, with careful selection of materials, systems, and construction techniques. This approach had the added benefit of a very expressive structure, exposing all the materials and systems integral with the projects mission.

In response to the harsh desert climate and the need for bulk material movement to the labs, the building's linear shaded courtyard is enclosed by perforated corten steel panels, providing a balance of natural daylight and filtered shade. The tempering of the space reduces air temperature by as much as 20 degrees at the peak of the year.

It replaces the need for internalized circulation that would have had to be large enough to accommodate forklift traffic and bulk handling to the lab.

The court has also become an ideal place for students and faculty to linger, even those unrelated to the building, and the central passage is now an integral element in the campus circulation system.

The jury felt this project "showed excellence in architecture with an industrial feel to it. The graphics were also outstanding."

The building threads spaces for people and research together in an open and inviting environment, promoting interaction and understanding of independent research within a highly flexible and adaptable platform.

The facility has also become a major draw for the campus in terms of place making for students and faculty, broadening the awareness of the important research it houses.

The building supports and enhances the learning environment by creating the kind of spaces that attract students to learn in and around the research, and provides areas for communication and collaboration outside of the lab environment, removing the barriers for communication and interaction.

The project moved existing labs into state of the art facilities and better environment moving them to the forefront of industry and beyond the university's borders. The world class basic engineering research is at the cutting edge, the facility now provides it with a home appropriate with its stature.

By use of its centralized space and open architecture the building has brought programs out into the light and features them in a high profile way, bringing new attention and excitement to programs, increasing visibility, recruitment and opportunity for additional grants.

Project Team

Rick Martorano
Facilities Project Coordinator
Ira A Fulton School of Engineering
Engineering Technical Services
Arizona State University
rmartora@asu.edu

James Richard
Richard + Bauer Architecture
jrichard@richard-bauer.com