Anatomy of a New Research Building: University of Michigan’s $220 Million Biomedical Science Building

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Reported by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). The University of Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor, Michigan) recently dedicated a state-of-the-art $220 million Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB), located on a full block site bordered by Huron Avenue. The cornerstone of the school’s ambitious Life Sciences Institute corridor, the nearly 500,000 square-foot building was planned to accommodate 240 laboratory modules, each with space for up to four researchers.

Designed by Polshek Partnership Architects, LLP (New York, New York), the BSRB is flexible in nature, allowing for the multi-disciplinary research demands of the school. The research teams will be able to interact with ease and collaborate on projects within the specialized scientific environment.

BSRB Interesting Facts

· Six levels (two partial) of research laboratories and faculty offices
· Two levels of vivarium space (including an imaging core, surgery, behavioral testing suite, aquatics suite, cage/rack washing facilities)
· 300-seat auditorium
· 1,600 square feet of divisible seminar room and break-out area
· 144 total faculty offices
· Two thousand truckloads of ready-mix concrete were poured for the foundation and structure.
· At the height of construction, nearly 100 subcontracting companies were involved, with nearly 500 workers onsite.
· 9,400 pieces of structural steel were used and the total weight of the structural steel frame is 4,000 tons.
· 3,800 windows, 12 elevators and 230 miles of electrical wire installed.
· 48 lab modules per typical floor, grouped into six "neighborhoods" – 240 lab modules total. Lab space available for research in molecular imaging, nanotechnology, regenerative medicine and gerontology.
· Over 40 alcoves used for tissue culture, fume hoods, general bench space and lab entries.

Construction of the BSRB began with an official groundbreaking held in October 2002 (reference: Pharmaceutical Tracker - Online Database). Construction management for the project was handled through a joint venture between Gilbane Building Company and Clark Construction, which was completed in late-2005.

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