A new building at UCSF by Rafael Viñoly

The Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building at the University of California, San Francisco, is ready for the ribbon cutting ceremony on February, 9.

Located on a steeply sloping hill at the foot of Mount Sutro, the Regeneration Medicine Building presented the design team a unique challenge: executing a horizontal structure on an uneven site. Rafael Viñoly Architects responded by creating a sinuous, serpentine building that fits that makes use of every foot of available space. The main floor functions as one continuous laboratory divided into four split levels, each stepping down a half-story as the building descends the forested mountain slope, and each topped by an office cluster and a green roof. Exterior ramps and stairs, taking advantage of the temperate climate, provide continuous circulation between all levels, and the facility connects to three nearby research and medical buildings via a pedestrian bridge. The building structure is supported by steel space trusses springing from concrete piers, minimizing site excavation and incorporating seismic base isolation to absorb earthquake forces.

Exterior ramps and stairs, taking advantage of the temperate climate, provide continuous circulation between all levels

Inside the building, the transitions between the split levels are designed as hubs of activity. Break rooms and stairs located at these interfaces increase the potential for chance interaction, and interior glazing maximizes visual connectivity between the lower labs and the upper offices. To further promote collaboration, the laboratories occupy a horizontal open-floor plan, with a flexible, custom-designed casework system that enables the rapid reconfiguration of the research program. Abundant south-facing glazing fills the open laboratories and offices with natural light and views of the wooded slope of Mount Sutro nearby. Green roof terraces impart environmental benefits and an outdoor amenity for building occupants and campus community. Visible from surrounding campus buildings' upper floors, the terraces create a welcoming transitional space where the dense campus meets the forest.

The main floor is divided into four split levels, each stepping down a half-story as the building descends the forested mountain slope, and each topped by an office cluster and a green roof

The Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building at UCSF is one of the largest and most comprehensive programs of its kind in the United States and will include The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research. It encompasses 125 labs made up of scientists exploring the earliest stages of animal and human development. The goal of these studies is to understand how disorders and diseases develop and how they could be treated based on the knowledge of, and use of, stem cells and other early-stage cells. The Institute's mission is to translate basic research findings to clinical research and on to patient care. Scientists in the Institute will work closely with clinical researchers at UCSF Medical Center, located nearby, to translate discoveries into therapeutic strategies.

A pedestrian bridge connects to three nearby research and medical buildings

Design Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects
Architect of Record: SmithGroup
Design Build Contractor: DPR Construction
Client: UCSF (University of California San Francisc)
Location: San Francisco, California
Budget: 91 Million dollars

A new building at UCSF by Rafael Viñoly

The Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building at the University of California, San Francisco, is ready for the ribbon cutting ceremony on February, 9.

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