As mental health research and treatment becomes increasingly interdisciplinary, science buildings must do more to foster innovation. Instead of an isolated, vertically-stacked layout that is typical in lab buildings, the design of the Translational Research Building at the University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute allows colleagues to connect up, down and across the building thanks to the project’s sinuous curves, airy atrium and expansive floor plates.
These instantly-connected “neighborhoods” stitch together wet and dry research labs with clinical programs and workspaces. The material selection, which includes light-colored wood tones and bright whites, combined with an extensive facade, weaves the institute seamlessly into its location overlooking the Wasatch Mountain foothills that surround Salt Lake City.