Designed as one of the most sustainable research facilities in the world, the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) is the new home for scientists working to advance genomics.
The three-story, 45,000-square-foot building has exposed architectural concrete panels, Spanish cedar wood siding, a wood-framed window curtain wall and storefront system, metal panels, and an expansive photovoltaic array.
The concrete walls, columns, footings, slab-on-grade, slabs on metal deck, and podium deck use 30% fly ash. The exposed architectural walls and columns use Type III cement and feature outward ribs separating each panel. Concrete cast-in-place stairways add to the clean, modern look of the building. McCarthy Building Companies self-performed all of the concrete work.
“McCarthy was brought in early to perform preconstruction with the goal of significantly lowering the initial estimated construction costs while still allowing the client to achieve LEED Platinum status,” says McCarthy project director Craig Swenson.
The project team used BIM, Navis Works, and Blue Beam for the electronic plan room to keep project costs in check.
“Our new facility was built not only to advance genomic research, but to showcase how science can be compatible with the best of environmentally sustainable practices,” says JCVI founder and CEO J. Craig Venter.
