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Architects: Centerbrook Architects & Planners
- Area: 189000 ft²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Derek Hayn, Robert Benson
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Manufacturers: MetalTech-USA, Arriscraft, Metal Tech USA, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, Viracon
Text description provided by the architects. The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine was designed to be sophisticated enough to entice internationally acclaimed scientists, bold enough to symbolize the state of Connecticut's commitment to advanced research, yet practical enough for an economic nonprofit organization serious about its mission.
Centerbrook Architects & Planners in collaboration with Tsoi/Kobus & Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts, designed the $135 million research facility. A nonprofit research institution based in Maine and with facilities in California as well, JAX has a staff of 1,400 professionals nationwide and is a designated National Cancer Institute research center.
Opened in 2014, the 189,000-square-foot JAX building is set on a 17-acre site adjacent to the UConn Health campus. It houses state-of-the-art laboratories where more than 300 biomedical researchers, technicians and support staff will probe the human genome for new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and other daunting diseases.
The building includes 17 “wet” biology labs and another 17 “dry” computational science labs, along with scientific service areas. The labs are clustered in large open suites to encourage collaboration among scientists and technicians, and to enable spaces to be reconfigured quickly and easily as research programs grow or evolve.
At the building's entrance, visitors walk into a light-filled, double-story vaulted reception area leading to: a 200-seat auditorium, two large conference/seminar rooms and a 200-seat dining area that opens into an outdoor courtyard. On the second floor are core service labs, a data center, offices, conference rooms, an employee fitness center and an informal seating area referred to as the “pub” for casual networking and formal pre-conference gatherings. Research labs and faculty offices will predominate on the third and fourth floors.
Product Description. The building consists of a structural steel frame faced with Canadian limestone, glass, and 14,000 square feet of Rheinzink 1.0 mm prePatina Blue Gray Zinc panels fabricated by MetalTech-USA. The zinc panels were selected because they age well and become more beautiful as the building ages. The Blue Gray hue of the zinc was specified as it complemented the limestone, which has blue veining. It also subtly blended with the champagne and pewter colors of the aluminum curtain wall frame.
