by Brianna Crandall — January 29, 2014—Global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will has been selected to design the new 600,000-square-foot Biomedical Research Building for the Feinberg School of Medicine on Northwestern University’s downtown Chicago campus. The building is expected to encourage collaboration among the school’s researchers and to help attract top-notch faculty.
Shaped around the research laboratories, the competition-winning design creates space for synergy and collaboration, builds a seamless physical connection to Northwestern’s existing facilities, and integrates with Streeterville’s vibrant urban setting. In its sculptural design, it reinforces Chicago’s progressive modern-architecture heritage and advances sustainable practices with green technology and design features that support environmental and personal health, says Perkins+Will.
Architect Ralph Johnson developed the building form and exterior in response to various internal and external drivers, including the creation of laboratory neighborhoods, access to daylight and views for extensive natural lighting, connection to existing buildings, and an acknowledgement of Superior Street as the main corridor for the research campus.
The new Biomedical Research Building will anchor the University’s research facilities and is projected to be the hub of a world-class research and development enterprise that attracts innovation and entrepreneurship. In its flexible conferencing suites and break/lounge areas, as well as collaborative spaces in lab neighborhoods, the design creates a dynamic, collegial environment in which important scientific discoveries will take place, says Perkins+Will.
