The Biodesign Institute is a state-of-the-art research facility that houses the vanguard of contemporary science. It comprises two linked buildings dedicated to interdisciplinary research and collaborative partnerships between biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology. The Institute’s values of communication, collaboration and connection reverberate through the open, light-filled atrium and laboratories. These organizing principles are evident at every level—between buildings, between floors, between the University and the community. The design fosters individual success as well as information exchange among researchers through the use of the connective atrium space. Its centrality encourages researchers to cross paths and meet one another throughout the day to discuss their work, often leading to new and innovative research collaborations. For a facility that probes the mysteries of nature, it was particularly important to maintain a connection to natural light, materials, and the outside. The building rises from a large beautifully landscaped Sonoran desert garden located in the forecourt. Additionally, the ceilings within the building are held as high as possible and have glass partitions to the exterior that permit views to the outside from deep within the lab spaces. This allows all researchers to be connected to the natural rhythms of the day.
Building B was the first LEED Platinum Certified building in the State of Arizona. Building A received LEED Gold certification.
Image Credits: Mark Boisclair Photography, Inc., Bill Timmerman, Terry Moore, and Gould Evans
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