A new home for collaboration

The Molecular Engineering Building will open June 25. Photo by Alex Ho.

Featuring four floors of lab and office space specifically tailored for research needs, the new Molecular Engineering and Sciences building ended up expanding considerably on the original plans for reconstruction.

The building, home to the UW Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute (MESI), will open its doors June 25.

The UW initially issued a bond to obtain a total of $78.5 million to fund the building. Construction began in fall 2009, at which point two and a half floors were planned to be left unfinished and completed at a later phase of construction. However, construction pricing fell as a result of the 2008 crash of the housing market, and the UW was able to save substantially. The College of Engineering then received a grant to fund the rest of the building.

Within the budget we originally had, we have been able to add a considerable amount of scope, said Steve Tatge, project manager of the UW Capital Projects and general manager of the building process. Thats why it took longer. The budget was established at the end of 2007, so pricing estimates shifted considerably.

Because the construction of laboratories is dependent upon the work done within, many factors had to be considered. The placement and design of each lab space had to meet the labs purpose. Skylights are strategically placed for each lab, and the site was chosen for its low-vibration statistics. Tatge said such features allow more sensitive research to be conducted.

There is also a room completely lined with aluminum to reduce electromagnetic interference for sensitive tests. The construction of such rooms required many tweaks, extending the building timeline. But safety permits were obtained in May, rendering the building open for furniture placement and move-ins.

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A new home for collaboration