The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) was
State-chartered to advance the development of nanotechnology through
partnership between university faculty members and students with California and
national industry laboratory scientists.
As a new science requiring a multidisciplinary approach to develop
informational, biomedical, and manufacturing technologies, nanotechnology
presents a unique set of programmatic challenges both to the research
scientists and to those designing their research spaces. Lab plans must be flexible enough to
accommodate the constant evolution of research methods that characterize
development in this field.Commissioned by CNSI, Rafael Viñoly Architects was
challenged to accommodate a large building that required maximum flexibility on
a steep slope in a densely developed area between the Court of Science and an
existing garage. RVA’s proposal for a long span steel structure to take
advantage of the space above the garage allows the building to be developed
horizontally instead of vertically, thereby facilitating greater interaction
among the users.More than fifty percent of the seven-story building
consists of lab space. The remainder comprises offices, conference/meeting
rooms, exhibition spaces, a data center, and a 260-seat auditorium. Light,
vibration, and electromagnetic-sensitive functions such as engineering,
low-noise physics, electron microscopy labs, and Class 1000 and 100 clean rooms
for semiconductor fabrication, are located in the lowest two levels where
cast-in-place concrete structure built into the earth slope offers best
protection. One level, dedicated
to animal imaging, is built around state-of-the-art small-animal imaging
technology and its support requirements, which include animal housing,
procedure rooms, data analysis, and a cyclotron facility for production of
radiopharmaceuticals.Labs for making, measuring, and modeling nanosystems, as
well as transferring them for the global marketplace, are located on the upper
three levels, partly spanning the garage.
A mid-air courtyard with walkways, stairs, bridges, and roof terraces,
provides researchers with lively outdoor circulation and public spaces that
offer frequent opportunities for casual meetings and exchange.