Bridge for Laboratory Sciences, Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York by Ennead Architects

Article source: Ennead Architects 

The Vassar College Integrated Science Commons redefines the identity of the sciences on the College’s historic campus and provides technologically-advanced facilities for students, faculty and researchers. The design is an outgrowth of a programming and a needs analysis for all of the Science Departments at the College — Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science, Earth Science — which had previously been housed in disparate facilities across campus. Responding to Vassar’s pedagogical mission to consolidate the sciences, the Integrated Science Commons leverages common resources and creates a vibrant science culture. Fundamental to the building’s design is its seamless integration with the natural landscape, scale and campus aesthetic of the College.

Southwest Entrance, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

• Architects: Ennead Architects
• Project: Bridge for Laboratory Sciences, Vassar College, Integrated Science Commons
• Location: Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
• Photography: Richard Barnes
  
• Project Leadership: Catharine Hill, Marianne Begemann
  
• Project Cost: $125 Million
  
• Project Size: 157,000 GSF Total
  
  • 82,000 GSF New Construction: Bridge for Laboratory Sciences
    
  • 23,000 GSF Renovation: New England
    
  • 26,000 GSF Renovation: Sanders Physics
    
  • 26,000 GSF Renovation: Olmsted Hall for Biological Sciences
    
  • 10 Acres of Site Work
    
• Construction Start: March 2013
  
• Building Dedication: May 6, 2016
  
• Building Opening: January 2016
  

Southeast Facing Exterior, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

Involving new construction, renovation work in several buildings and substantial improvements to the campus landscape, the project features the new Bridge for Laboratory Sciences building, housing state-of-the-art undergraduate teaching and research laboratories, offices, a café and a variety of generous shared public spaces. In addition, two historic buildings have been completely renovated: New England and Sanders Physics, which house offices, classrooms and dry labs. Olmsted Hall for Biological Sciences, which houses the Biology Department, shared classrooms and a vivarium, has been partially renovated. Ten acres of new landscaping knits the buildings together and rehabilitates the Fonteyn Kill stream corridor and adjacent wetlands.

Northeast Facing Exterior, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

Northwest Façade, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

The Bridge for Laboratory Sciences exemplifies the integration of a state-of-the-art new building design into a campus with a rich fabric of historic architecture and landscape. A living laboratory, the building is a reflection of Vassar’s history of science, research and environmental advocacy, and of the symbiotic relationship between the scientists and the landscape in which they study. The Vassar campus is known as an arboretum and the preservation of significant trees along the Fonteyn Kill corridor was an important project goal. Restoration of the wetland and remediation of the creek complete the building’s integration into the landscape and provide a platform for on-going student research into the creek environment.

Siting for the 82,000-square-foot Bridge for Laboratory Sciences building — large for this arcadian campus — was a challenge, given the aims of creating a cohesive science precinct with a minimal footprint that promotes interaction across departmental lines and the campus as a whole. The design solution is a two-story curvilinear structure that straddles Fonteyn Kill, allowing the building to not only act as a bridge, but to be built like one, with two concrete piers on either side of Fonteyn Kill supporting a truss spanning across the ravine. In turn, the floors of the lab building are hung from above by 6″ steel pipes, creating a lightweight and very open structure, thereby minimizing the building’s impact on the ground and preserving the natural landscape underneath.
Consistent with the existing scale of the campus, the new two-story building is intimate and inviting. The curve of the building minimizes the external impact of its size on its context, while its curved interior passageway creates a central corridor for student activity with panoramic views out to the natural landscape
below. This experience of a “building in the trees” inspired the tree pattern of the building’s façade. The building’s curvature withholds a full view of the entire building, prompting viewers to slowly experience each part as it unfolds.

Southeast Outdoor Terrace, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

Aerial Photo, Facing Northeast, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

Mitigating a steep natural grade change across the site, the Bridge for Laboratory Sciences creates a focus on the Fonteyn Kill corridor and repurposes a previously underutilized sector of campus. Connecting on all floors to the existing Olmsted Hall, the building now serves as a conduit, drawing pedestrians — students, faculty, visitors et al — through it and providing an accessible route between the campus core and remote parking. Intended to be a 24-hour facility, the Bridge for Laboratory Sciences encourages students from other disciplines to take advantage of the facility and exposes students to a wide range of scientific pursuits.

Interior Cafe and Corridor Seating, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

Interior Corridor Seating, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

While renovated facilities house dry labs, the new Bridge for Laboratory Sciences facility primarily houses wet laboratories for the Chemistry Department, in addition to spaces that open onto and float above the landscape in support of other disciplines and student activity, including a student lounge, café and study areas. The new facilities provide multi-disciplinary laboratories and program suites that foster collaboration between departments, researchers and students from different fields of study.

Laboratory, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes,

Interior Common Area and Stairs to Second Level, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

Clad in fiber cement and stone, the building’s façade is inspired by the texture and horizontal striations of the dense tree-lined landscape. Acknowledging the wetland corridor as an avian flight path, Vassar is at the cutting-edge of bird-friendly design. The Bridge for Laboratory Sciences incorporates a number of innovative façade design features to minimize bird collisions, including Ornilux, a coating and pattern nearly invisible to humans yet highly visible to birds, and ceramic frit, an opaque pattern applied to the inner layers of insulated glass and commonly used for solar and glare control. The frit pattern is double-layered with an outer macro layer in light grey is inspired by the surrounding trees and a standard line pattern in dark grey on the inner layer, together providing maximum legibility to birds in changing light conditions. The fritted glass curtain, one of a number of sustainable design elements, is also used in areas such as the labs to reduce solar heat gain and glare. In areas where views are the priority and solar control is not an issue, such as the main corridor which is shaded by the offices above, Ornilux is used, representing the first specification of Ornilux in the US and receiving a Pilot LEED Point for bird-friendly glass.

Northwest Façade Detail, Image Courtesy © Richard Barnes

Image Courtesy © Ennead Architects

Image Courtesy © Ennead Architects

Image Courtesy © Ennead Architects

Image Courtesy © Ennead Architects

Image Courtesy © Ennead Architects

Tags: New York, USA

Categories: Campus, College, Educational Center, Educational Institute, Laboratory, Research Station, Science Centre

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