USC Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research

The client’s primary objective was to provide a home for stem cell research and regenerative medicine in an environment that fosters collaboration, discoveries, and expansion. Their further goal was to create a hub on the Health Sciences Campus for research—from basic research through translational medicine through clinical studies—in a building that would be home to 15 faculty members and over 100 staff and students tackling fundamental questions that must be answered for regenerative medicine to succeed. Increasingly, the researchers are working with clinical colleagues at the Keck School, as well as recruiting additional translational stem cell researchers, to help build upon existing strengths at USC—including cancer, neurosciences, cardiovascular disease, obesity / diabetes / metabolic diseases, and immunology / infectious disease—in order to translate their basic discoveries into innovative new treatments to cure disease.

UNIQUE CONCEPT

THE ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD CIRM CENTER FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE AND STEM CELL RESEARCH AT USC IS AN INNOVATIVE FACILITY; DESIGNED TO REINFORCE THE STRONG INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EXISTING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PROGRAMS WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY’S HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS AND THE LOCAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. THE SCIENTISTS AT THE BROAD CENTER ARE PERFORMING HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH; THEREFORE, IT WAS AN ESTABLISHED IMPERATIVE THAT THE DESIGN MAXIMIZE BOTH THE LABORATORY FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY AND THE COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT.

BUILDING DESIGN

As in science, there are new discoveries one experiences within this 91,485 SF, five-story building’s open spatial sequence. The first floor is dedicated to more public functions with an airy lobby and a large seminar room. The four floors above, reachable via security card access only, consist of open laboratories, intimate in scale, which are best described as interconnecting research neighborhoods linked by perimeter walkways and a linear equipment corridor at the center. Within these neighborhoods, there are also common spaces and informal areas to encourage scientists to interact. Different groups can work closely together, and as research groups grow, the layout can accommodate reconfiguration. There is flexibility in bench areas, so that “dry” research areas can be converted into “wet” laboratory benches. Thus, the building is very efficient in terms of space.

Ample interaction space is much more extensive at the Broad Center than in other research facilities on campus. At each floor, a kitchen and balconies with casual seating further encourage intellectual collaboration. A spacious conference room on every floor is linked to the AV equipment in the seminar room on the first floor, offering overflow space during popular seminars. The conference rooms and the AV equipment are a welcome upgrade for the users. Likewise, the combination of open bench areas with adjacent rooms for cell culture and microscopy are a perfect fit to the requirements of stem cell researchers. Open bays and the flexibility of desks in “dry” bench areas are also proving very useful. The building is connected to the adjacent Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute (ZNI) via bridges on each floor and a tunnel in the basement, which provides shared support services, as well as opportunities for interaction. When the Broad Center, one of 12 California institutions considered to receive major facilities grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), was awarded nearly $27 million in funding, the CIRM committee noted it was most impressed by the creation of the Center’s research collaboration formed to use the facility, and by the very efficient use of the floor areas.

The building design, inside and out, is inspired by the boundlessness of science. The building supports and expresses the dynamic nature of science, which is about open inquiry and change. The minimalist quality of the design and materials are expressed by the firmness of black granite, stainless steel, and transparent glass, all of which rest on an earthy platform of locally quarried flagstone. The rectangular form has glass façades running the full length of the long sides of the building, in an effort to maximize natural daylighting in the offices and laboratories, allowing light to flow freely through the building. The innovative glazing systems also respond to the sun’s orientation by controlling heat gain and minimizing glare. The east façade features a ventilated, double glass wall, which acts as a buffer to moderate temperatures to the interior spaces. The east façade has a play of alternating patterns of transparent and translucent glass, creating oblique exterior views, while maximizing the feeling of privacy in the laboratories. The outside layer of glass is supported by stainless steel cables, or cable net, creating a curtain of glass. The system itself is particularly innovative in that it provides maximum transparency and responds to the stringent seismic requirements in California. The west façade utilizes angled glass fins to reduce glare of the afternoon sun, and the use of high-performance glass reduces heat gain.

The unique quality of the building is expressed in the arrangement of seemingly standard program elements, setting it apart from other laboratory buildings. The organization concept for the laboratory floors is referred to as a “transparent neighborhood” scheme. Transparency has several meanings for this plan. There are no obstructions across the width of the building, so the space is literally

transparent from side to side. There are no obstructions between laboratory bench zone, and desk / dry bench zone. The relationship between these program elements is as close as possible. There is also a visual connection between laboratory neighborhoods running the length of the building.

Flexibility, the key to “future-proofing� any laboratory space, is provided in a variety of ways throughout the building. As laboratory group sizes grow they will be able to expand into an adjacent neighborhood, with no doors to isolate parts of the group. Wet laboratory bench zones and desk / dry laboratory zones have initially been opened to each other, but the layout can be reconfigured by staff so that wet bench and desk / dry benches are intermingled. As a corollary, the ratio of desk to bench can be adjusted as needs change. The only fixed elements are laboratory sinks, fume hoods, and sterilizers. Benches and desks are movable. Services are provided on overhead service carriers, which themselves are removable. Circulation is via aisles or halls (mostly open) on the two lengths of the building, with a center spine that acts intermittently as a linear equipment room or galley.

FLEXIBLE LABORATORY LAYOUT

Wet Laboratories Only

Wet and Dry Laboratories Divided by Glass Wall

Due to the unique layout of the laboratory floors, no circulation corridors were required, resulting in very flexible laboratories that allow for changes in the configuration, location, and ratio of wet bench and dry computational stations. The east and west faรงades of the building reflect important differences in design intent and performance, while allowing sunlight to penetrate the laboratories and create transparency throughout the building.

The east faรงade features a ventilated, double glass wall, which acts as a buffer to moderate temperatures to the interior spaces. The cavity is open at the bottom, with automated louvered vents at the top. When heated cavity air is unwanted, the louvers are opened and the stack effect ventilates the cavity through the top. Otherwise the louvers remain closed and the cavity acts as a large airspace to mitigate the effects of thermal transfer through the inner skin. The reduced heat gain is achieved by a combination of horizontal shading in the cavity and a play of alternating patterns of transparent and translucent high-performance glass. The outside layer of glass is supported by stainless steel cables, called a cable net, creating a curtain of glass. The system itself is particularly innovative in that it provides maximum transparency and responds to the stringent seismic requirements in California. The west faรงade is a conventional unitized curtain wall system, augmented with vertical frosted angled glass shading fins to protect the interior heat gain and glare of the afternoon sun.

The east and west faรงades of the building compliment the passive design strategies intended to optimize building energy use.

The wall system on the east faรงade features a ventilated, double wall system with a cavity spanning the full height of the faรงade, which reduces the solar gain and creates oblique views out of the laboratories with its play of transparent and translucent glass.

Circulation paths and equipment galleys tie the laboratory neighborhoods together and meld the best features of open and closed planning concepts into a laboratory that is at once both intimate and without boundaries. Circulation occurs via aisles on the two lengths of the building and a center spine that serves as a linear equipment room or galley. The center spine is also the path for moving material and supplies through the laboratories, while the aisles are primarily for personnel.

MECH MECH

MECH

MECH

BASEMENT

MECH

MECH

KH TO Z IL

F ROM

Z ILK H

A

MECH

A

1 2

3

Vivarium Core Laboratory

1 Chemistry Core

Circulation

2 NMR Core

Mechanical / Electrical

3 LN2 Storage Core

Conference Circulation Mechanical / Electrical

A

LEVEL 1

KH TO Z IL

LEVEL 2

KH TO Z IL

A

2 1 3

3

4

Laboratory Laboratory Support Office

1 Flow Cytometry Core

Conference

2 Imaging Core

Circulation

3 Stem Cell Core

Mechanical / Electrical

4 Hystology Core

Laboratory Laboratory Support Office Conference Circulation Mechanical / Electrical

A

LEVELS 3-5

KH TO Z IL

The building program includes four floors of laboratory, office, and meeting spaces over two floors of support space. Public and common spaces were designed to enhance the exchange of ideas.

The Broad Center is designed around a 10’-6” standard laboratory module defined by the width and clearance of research tables and support equipment. The laboratory integrates “plug and play” modular furniture. To accommodate the initial science being conducted there, laboratory benches were installed throughout, with the flexibility to change them to computational stations as needed. This approach will allow the laboratories to be modified over the life of the building at a minimal cost, and with minimal physical disruption to the scientific research.

The building’s openness and transparency reveals the intent to use it to enhance the collaborative culture of the occupants and to provide a nurturing environment that allows diverse research to exist side-by-side. Enclosed offices borrow natural light, reversing the usual hierarchy where offices are placed along the exterior wall. Each office is equipped with energy-saving motion sensors; and sustainable materials were used in office furnishings and architectural elements.

Where circulation does occur at the elevator lobbies and bridge connection, the space has been configured with seating and white boards to encourage the intellectual collisions that ultimately enhance the research environment.

The tables and chairs located on bridges and balconies are popular places for scientists and staff from both buildings to congregate and enjoy the open air and Southern California’s excellent weather.

NATU RAL DAYLIG HTI NG AN D VI EWS

Indirect and controlled lighting in all normally occupied spaces and light harvesting controls in the laboratories reduce or eliminate the need for electric lighting during the daylight hours.

TE M PE RATU R E CONTROL

Chilled beams are used to remove heat from the laboratories using water instead of the traditional air systems.

COM M ISSION I NG

Enhanced commissioning will significantly improve researcher comfort, reduce energy costs, and reduce ongoing maintenance costs by ensuring that the systems are operating as intended.

R ECYCLE D CONTE NT

Rapidly renewable wood products, such as bamboo veneer doors and architectural casework, are used throughout the building.

LOW-E M ITTI NG PRODUCTS

The use of low-emitting adhesives for carpets / fabrics improves the indoor air quality and the associated well being of the researchers conducting stem cell research.

LIG HT POLLUTION R E DUCTION

Light fixtures located internally and externally to the building are “Dark Sky Friendly” and thereby, minimize light pollution.

LAN DSCAPE DESIG N

The project has used native species that require less irrigation and maintenance.

H EAT ISLAN D R E DUCTION

Low Albido materials are used on the roof surfaces to mitigate the building heat island effect on the local environment.

WATE R-USE R E DUCTION

Using plumbing fixtures with flush valves and flow restrictors significantly reduces the consumption of water by over 30% for the building.

TRANSPORTATION

Reduction of transportation impacts include the USC bus service, bike storage with readily available showers, and preferred parking for fuel efficient cars.

SUSTAINABILITY

SOLAR CONTROL

A double skin façade on the east elevation reduces energy consumption, while solar fins on the west elevation help reduce glare to the building interior.

PROJECT TEAM ZGF ARCHITECTS LLP

Architect

JACOBS CONSULTANCY

Laboratory Planner

AFFILIATED ENGINEERS, INC.

M/E/P Engineer

KPFF CONSULTING ENGINEERS, INC.

Civil and Structural Engineer DAVIS LANGDON

Cost Estimator

VAN ATTA ASSOCIATES, INC.

Landscape Architect MORLEY BUILDERS

General Contractor

PORTLAND 1223 SW Washington Street Suite 200 Portland, Oregon 97205 T 503.224.3860 F 503.224.2482

LOS ANGELES 515 South Flower Street Suite 3700 Los Angeles, California 90071 T 213.617.1901 F 213.617.0047

NEW YORK 419 Park Avenue South 20th Floor New York, New York 10016 T 212.624.4754 F 212.624.4753

SEATTLE 925 Fourth Avenue Suite 2400 Seattle, Washington 98104 T 206.623.9414 F 206.623.7868

WASHINGTON, D.C. 1800 K Street NW Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20006 T 202.380.3120 F 202.380.3128

www.zgf.com

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