Supporting interdisciplinary education and collaborative research

Supporting interdisciplinary interactions, the University of California, San Diego's Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building advances the university's goal of fostering unprecedented inter-unit research partnerships by utilizing advanced technologies to drive discovery in academia and industry.

The first building on the UC San Diego campus to bridge health science research with biological science research and teaching, the 200,000-square-foot, multi-use facility includes scientific neighborhoods composed of cross-organizational collaborative faculty, providing interaction opportunities.

The highly collaborative and flexible research environment supports seamless interaction with specialized shared research facilities, collaborative meeting areas, conference rooms, offices, and public spaces. Maximizing flexibility and functionality to respond to changes in programs and research, over 120,000 square feet of research and teaching laboratories integrate experimentation, instrumentation, and computational analysis; supporting interdisciplinary education at the critical interface of biology, machine learning, and advanced instrumentation.

The modern exterior design further advances the unique architecture found on the UC San Diego campus. Utilizing a UCSD-specific mix of type 1L concrete along with a glass façade featuring sculpted, perforated fins that act as a shading device and light shelf, the upper floors of the new six-level building are offset, creating the appearance of rotated stacks. The facility integrates science on display through biological science classrooms and shared meeting rooms on the street level.

The project aims to exceed the university's sustainability goals with a minimum target of LEED Gold.