College of Medicine Research Building
Cost: $145 million

The University of Illinois at Chicago constructed the College of Medicine Research Building because more space was needed for an increasing amount of research.

The 335,000-sq.-ft. facility will hold laboratories, offices, auditorium and vivarium in the Biologic Resources Laboratory building attached to the COMRB.

The plan called for a portion of the BRL to be demolished and the remaining part to be integrated with the COMRB. The BRL was reprogrammed, including the relocation of the cage washing system.

A saw cut was made, the one-story portion and basement were demolished and a support beam was added.

Coordination in utility shutdowns and demolition and construction time were required over a one- to 1.5-year period and beyond so BRL researchers and their test animals were not adversely impacted.

Flexibility Sought

UIC wanted the facility to provider flexibility to the researchers who will be its primary users.

Gasses and other services will be fed from walls, rather than the ceiling or floor. The advantage is that casework can be added or removed depending on researcher needs.

Each exhaust alcove has a fume hood to take away gasses and odors, but a second fume hood can be added should a researcher need additional exhaust.

And, demising walls that separate laboratories on each floor can be removed if a larger space is required.

The typical laboratory has sterilizers, biological safety cabinets, washer/dryer units, high performance ovens, ice machines, X-ray processors and environmental rooms.

Good aesthetics were part of the project, too.

Red brick was selected as the primary cladding of the building's west facade to reflect the collegiate Gothic style and match the materials of the Medical Sciences Building and College of Medicine West Tower to the north. The COMRB's windows line up with those on the two buildings to its north.

A tower frames the COMRB to echo the same structure on the West Tower.

While the west facade reflects the Gothic look, several elements help give the COMRB a contemporary look, too. These include the curtain wall on the building's south and east sides.

The white precast and curtain wall on the courtyard-facing east facade help give the building a contemporary flavor and the side benefit of keeping it from being overbearing.

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