|
|
UCLA PLANT GROWTH CENTER
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Photography:
Grant Mudford Studio
Jury
Comments: The lightly textured masonry foundation
greatly enhances the design of what would otherwise be a
simple utilitarian glass structure. The masonry foundation
was also a nice solution for anchoring the building to a
challenging site.
The $7 million UCLA Plant Growth Center introduced a new
building typology by creating laboratory conditions within
commercial greenhouse technology for advanced research of
plant physiology, including genetic study of nutraceutical
biology.
The 20,000 square-foot facility is organized into two floors. The top floor houses the main entrance, an educational greenhouse, a headhouse for the preparation of greenhouse material and six independent research greenhouses organized on either side of a central hallway. Each of the six research greenhouses is an independent laboratory environment using a dedicated air handling system that can be controlled either automatically or manually and monitored off-site. The control system operates growth lights, retractable wall and ceiling curtains, roof vents and supply air temperature and velocity to allow flexible growing conditions for a wide variety of plant types and experiments. Because some research in the UCLA Plant Growth Center occurs at a genetic level, a precise degree of control over these conditions is required. The design process utilized computation fluid dynamics (CFD) to study various airflow options within the research greenhouses to achieve ideal growing conditions involving a consistent laminar flow of air across the plant canopy. An envelope of laminated and insulated glass on low masonry walls encloses the second floor. Masonry is used as a base to distinguish support spaces below in the first floor.
Located in the northeast corner of UCLA’s acclaimed Mildred Mathias Botanical Gardens, the design is sensitive to its garden setting through the rustification of split-faced concrete masonry units, mixed into precision CMU walls. The walls act as both seismic shear and retaining structure. Sensitive about its public exposure, the university desired a quiet presence and direct expression for the UCLA Plant Growth Center. The design achieves this through articulation of the building massing into twelve linear bays to compliment the scale of the surrounding garden planting and to reduce the building height.
ARCHITECT:
Paul Murdoch Architects
5150
Wilshire Blvd., Suite 504
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Paul
Murdoch
Principal
CONSULTING ARCHITECT:
Graham Hubenthal, Architect
18542
Swanson Lane
Stanwood, WA 98982
Graham
Hubenthal
Principal
STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER:
Sato & Boppana
GENERAL
CONTRACTOR:
Earl Corporation
MASONRY
CONTRACTOR:
Arc-Accucon Construction
BLOCK
PRODUCER:
Angelus Block Company, Inc.
OWNER:
University of California, Los Angeles
