[ARTICLE] Glumac Commissions the UCSF Institute for Regeneration Medicine
20-Apr-2011by Louisa Gaylord, Communications Director
Glumac recently completed the energy commissioning for the University of California’s (UCSF) Institute for Regeneration Medicine (IRM), located on the Parnassus campus. The IRM is designed to “support scientists in their quest to understand the basic biology of stem cells, with the goal of turning these discoveries into therapies. This is an unprecedented opportunity, ”says Dr. J. Michael Bishop, professor in UCSF’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and former Chancellor for the UC school system.
This two-story, 71,000 sf building features 25 laboratories for human and animal embryonic cell research, terraced green roofs, and generous amounts of daylighting to reduce dependence on artificial lighting. A stormwater filtering system cuts down on water pollution. The IRM conforms to the Environmental Performance Criteria as defined by the Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs 21) program. This LEED Gold building is the first new construction on the Parnassus campus in forty years.
The narrow curved project site is built into the side of the hills of Parnassus Heights to maximize the acoustical and thermal benefits of the soil, requiring the IRM to allow five feet of motion using a base isolation system for stability in the event of an earthquake. The site has previously remained unoccupied because it was considered impossible to create a beautiful and functional building on such a constrictive plot of land.
Seismic Stability - The walkway railings anchored to the hill add a flexible, malleable strength to the building’s stability in the event of an earthquake or landslide.
UCSF is one of twelve California institutions and universities to receive a total of $271 million in funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), who predict that state investment for stem cell research has reached $831 million. The California Stem Cells Research and Cures Act (Proposition 71) was also passed in 2005, providing $3 billion for state organizations to develop cell-based therapies and cures for diseases such as Parkinson’s.
The UCSF IRM project has won the San Francisco AIA’s 2011 "Excellence in Architecture Merit Award" and the AIA's 2010 “Integrated Project Delivery” Award. Craig Dawson, a member of UCSF’s Community Advisory Group, says the building is “another example of the long-term commitment that UCSF is making… to create a state-of-the-art green building that I hope Parnassus neighbors will see more of.”
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[ARTICLE] Glumac Relocates to LEED Platinum-Designed Office at the Standard Insurance Center 26-Apr-2012[ARTICLE] Creating Gensler's "Jewel Box" 06-Feb-2012
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