CREJ - Building Dialogue - March 2015

Fitzsimons Campus Expands with Addition of Bioscience 2

This summer in Aurora the FitzsimonsRedevelopment Authority will openthe doors on its state-of-the-art research/academic building, Bioscience- 2. The new 112,000-square-foot facility, located on Montview Boulevard at the heart of the Fitzsimons Innovation Campus, will house laboratory and office space for the University of Colorado in addition to private-sector tenants. Conceived by a partnership between the FRA and CU, Bioscience 2 will prove to be the new model for interprofessional education and corporate collaboration, by combining research, business, and education under one roof.

The evolution of laboratory space and infrastructure is ever changing. Bioscience 2 provides 21st century laboratory spaces, while allowing for future flexibility and change. Building electrical and mechanical systems have been designed to accommodate today’s need with ample capacity for the uncertainties of tomorrow. Pathways for infrastructure have been carefully coordinated in anticipation of the unforeseen future.

The development process of Bioscience 2 mimics the built result. Saunders Construction and MOA Architecture were contracted as a design-build partnership, along with the Wells Partnership as owner’s representative, in delivering the vision the FRA and CU shared. The design team employed an integrated project delivery model in which a multitude of design options were tested very early in conceptual design.

Decisions such as vibration criteria of structural frame for sensitive laboratory equipment, or where to place exhaust fans to gain greatest energy efficiency, were carefully studied. Cost of design options and alternatives were assessed based upon life-cycle cost analysis and anticipated payback period duration. Thorough assessment of building systems in “leaving no stone unturned” drove the design direction of Bioscience 2.

Sustainability is an important value that is cap tured in project design and construction. Bioscience 2 is currently pursuing LEED Gold certification, through the U.S.

Green Building Council. Energy- and water-efficient building systems, low-emitting building materials, green construction practices and enhanced commissioning of building systems are a few examples of sustainable measures employed on the project. Decisions on sustainable design were not made based on which LEED credits were easiest to attain for the project, but rather which options presented the biggest benefit to building occupants.

Building amenities offered to all tenants include shared conferencing and impromptu meeting space, shower and locker facilities, outdoor plaza space, dedicated storage and staging space adjacent to loading dock, as well as areas specifically designated for chemical storage and hazardous waste collection.

Circulation throughout the building is designed to promote “casual collisions” of building occupants. Creating opportunities for various tenants to interact with each other is encouraged by the design of Bioscience 2.

Centrally located within the Fitzsimons Innovation Campus, Bioscience 2 enhances the surrounding urban fabric. Tenants are within short walking distance of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, University Hospital and Children’s Hospital and soon future Veterans Administration hospital.

Bioscience 2 is directly adjacent to 21 Fitzsimons, a residential/ retail mixed-use development, complete with a newly opened brewery. Although parking is available to occupants, building tenants are encouraged to utilize the nearby bike paths, bus routes and light rail, which is planned to open in 2016.

Collaboration is a central paradigm at Bioscience 2. Not only is the building intended to foster collaboration between building users, but the building itself is an outcome of a very collaborative process. The Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority and University of Colorado, along with MOA Architecture and Saunders Construction as the design-builder, have delivered a model suited for academic and private-sector collaboration.

Bioscience 2 is currently 70 percent preleased. The industry of bioscience is cited as being one of the fastest-growing industries, in terms of job growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Project Team:
DESIGN-BUILD ARCHITECT: MOA Architecture

DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTOR: Saunders Construction

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Martin/Martin

CIVIL ENGINEER: Bowman Vision Land

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Norris Design

LABORATORY CONSULTANT: CRB

WIND ENGINEER: CPP Wind Engineering

DESIGN-BUILD MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: ME Engineers

DESIGN-BUILD MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR: M-Tech Mechanical

DESIGN-BUILD ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR: Encore Electrical