PROJECT ABSTRACT: UCSF Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building
At first glance, most would never guess that a building could be constructed on the steep hills behind the dense Parnassus Medical Campus of UCSF. The desire to efficiently use one of the last remaining slivers of land on the campus, combined with a daring architectural and structural design has resulted in the recently completed $123M Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building, which houses new laboratories for the University's emerging stem cell research program.
The design team was tasked with a significant challenge: develop a showcase building on a demanding and steeply-sloping site that is constrained by myriad obstacles. The entire team collaborated to develop a design, which curves and slopes up to 65 degrees, ultimately creating a roughly 700 foot long serpentine-shaped building with a form that is largely derived from the site topography.
The architect's vision for the building to appear to cantilever from, and float above, the hillside as dramatically as possible was balanced with the owner's desire for seismic performance beyond basic code compliance. The final result is a relatively simple and economical solution using a base-isolated steel space truss substructure topped with a conventionally-framed steel superstructure. The space truss substructure is versatile enough to accommodate the varying slope of the hillside and curves in plan while still maintaining a level platform that conventional steel framing could be economically built upon. The team's integration of architecture and engineering essentially created a site on what could have easily been viewed as an otherwise un-buildable piece of land.
The project utilized a Design-Build delivery methodology with Rafael Viñoly Architects and Nabih Youssef Associates providing bridging documents and SmithGroup Architects and Forell/Elsesser Engineers serving as the design team for DPR Construction. This presentation will discuss the roles of each design firm and how they left their own innovative mark on this exciting project.
February 21, 2012
Michaels at Shoreline
2960 North Shoreline Boulevard
Mountain View, CA 94043-1357
The Program Committee organizes the monthly
programs for the general membership meetings. The Committee is responsible
for scheduling guest speakers, running the monthly programs, providing
announcements and summaries for the Newsletter, and maintaining
a list of past and potential subjects of interest to the general
membership.
