UNR Center for Molecular Medicine

The Center for Molecular Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno is a 116,000 square foot translational facility.  United under one roof are university wet labs, a rodent Vivarium research facility, BSL3 select agent lab, educational and instructional space and medical office suites.  Vital to the success of the project is the physical and intellectual collaboration between the University and private researchers and the clinical practices. 

The general diagram of the facility shows two, three-story wings unfolded into a crooked bar forming a new northern edge of the UNR campus.  In response to a sensitive site, the wings follow the grade moving from high ground on the western edge to the lower eastern edge.  The western wing houses three university laboratories, a private partner lab, a rodent Vivarium and a select agent BSL3 lab.  The eastern wing, with a more public face, will house the private clinical partner, the University’s Center for Aging as well as a cafeteria, auditorium, conference rooms and a central circulation core.  A central node is created at the intersection of the wings with a protected patio.  This node not only connects the wings together but also provides a connection out to the campus.

This building, the first new research facility on the UNR campus in 30 years was designed to create a new ‘face’ to the north end of the UNR campus.  It provides a front door to this end of the campus through the large public lobby of the medical office building.  Further campus context is reinforced and reinterpreted with the exterior cladding.  The existing campus brick is pulled into a skin where lighter glass volumes push through it and sometimes beyond, expressing and exposing interior functions.  Adding metal panels to the exterior skin reinforces the contemporary nature of this building and the cutting edge research taking place within it.

Location: Reno, NV
Size: 100,000sf