Previous |
Next |
November 13, 2009, 02:00 PM ET
Caltech Opens an Academic Building by 'the Anti-Thom Mayne'
The California Institute of Technology wants its newest building to bring together researchers from a variety of disciplines to solve information-science questions—and save energy and water at the same time.
Frederick Fisher and Partners designed Caltech's new interdisciplinary-research building. (Caltech photos)
The 47,000-square-foot, $22-million building, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Center for Information Science and Technology, is a sharp-looking classroom-and-office facility that is intended to earn gold-level certification in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. It was designed by the Los Angeles firm headed by Frederick Fisher, an architect described by the Los Angeles Times as "the anti-Thom Mayne"—an interesting choice of words, given that Caltech recently opened a high-profile astronomy building by Mr. Mayne's firm, Morphosis.
The new structure houses researchers—among them biologists, computer scientists, engineers, and physicists—who study the impact of the information explosion on science and engineering. The building has 20 offices for faculty members (including four for visiting scholars), plus offices for postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and support-staff members. It also has five classrooms, 16 studios for students, a computer lab, an auditorium, kitchens, a skylit atrium, and a two-level lounge with a spiral staircase (left).
Offices on the second and third floors have floor-to-ceiling glass walls that admit daylight and afford views of the campus. Operable windows and individual thermostats let the building's users stay comfortable without wasting energy. Among other sustainability features are a water system intended to use 30 percent less fresh water than a conventional building, a stormwater-management system, and drought-resistant landscaping. About 20 percent of the construction materials have recycled content.
Add Your Comment
You must be logged in to add a comment. Please login now or create a free account.