SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture for a New Building,
Merit Award

University of California, San Francisco for the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building with Rafael Viñoly Architects

Photo ©Bruce Damonte

©Bruce Damonte

Click on images above for larger view

The University of California San Francisco needed a new home for its stem cell research to reunite researchers and laboratories scattered across campus. The architectural design solution for the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building (RMB) compartmentalized human embryonic stem cell work and connected it to the research core.

The site is a densely developed corner of the Parnassus campus at the northern foot of Mount Sutro in the center of San Francisco and was once considered unbuildable.

Despite site challenges, the architects planned a horizontal building where the main floor functions as one continuous laboratory divided into four split-levels. Each level steps down a half-story as the building descends the forested mountain slope.

The jury said, “ . . . an innovative way to support buildings and the way it steps down, completely out of the box . . . landscape is well integrated into the project . . . wonderful edge of campus . . . feels organic like it grew out of the side of the hill . . . ”

The RMB was an ideal candidate for base isolation, where a building rests on a system of special bearings that are very stiff vertically, yet very flexible laterally. This allows the building to “float” sideways in any direction when an earthquake occurs. This design provides substantial material savings, significantly reduces the building’s carbon footprint, and enhances its lifespan.

The project is targeting LEED Gold certification and follows Labs21 environmental performance criteria. Green roofs reduce the heat-island effect, minimize stormwater runoff, and enhance the environment. Native planting reduces irrigation requirements. Additional strategies include green cleaning, sustainable landscape maintenance, and consideration for the efficient structural system.

“The architect crafted a unique building design that successfully overcomes the challenges of the hillside site while providing a laboratory designed in close accordance with scientific and programmatic goals,” says Michael Bade, interim assistant vice chancellor, capital programs and campus architect. “The UCSF community is extremely excited about this new building, and the reception since it opened has been enthusiastic,” he adds.

Project Team: University of California, San Francisco with Rafael Viñoly Architects; also SmithGroup; DPR Construction; GPR Planners Collaborative; ACCO Engineered Systems, Inc.; Gayner Engineers; Cupertino Electric, Inc.; Cammisa and Wipf; Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Inc.; Nabih Youssef Associates; Creegan & D’Angelo; Sandis; Carducci & Associates, Inc.; CMG Landscape Architecture; Nova Partners, Inc.; Glumac