UCSD's Bioengineering Building Completed

The University of California San Diego has completed the $30.6-million Powell-Focht Bioengineering Building in La Jolla. Located on a four-acre site, the 110,000-sf structure was built to house facilities for both public and private foundations conducting research in the life sciences bioengineering sector. The design fosters collaboration across all engineering and biomedical disciplines. The five-level building with one level below ground and four above is a cast-in-place structure that features 63,000 sf of laboratory, 30,000 sf of office, a 5,000-sf subterranean vivarium, and 12,000 sf of public/instructional/meeting space, including a student learning center. Each floor is dedicated to one major focus area: genomic bioengineering, molecular biomechanics, and cellular and tissue engineering, or systems bioengineering. The facility was designed by Anshen + Allen Architects of Los Angeles, with laboratory design services provided by Research Facilties Design, and constructed in 22 months by McCarthy.