University of Kansas

Acting as a multidisciplinary “think tank” for researchers to share ideas and promote the sciences, the design of the 106,000 sf facility is driven by the functional needs of a variety of research projects and disciplines, including chemistry, molecular bioscience, mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and geology. Openness and transparency are valued by the university as important assets, and the building opens its arms and reaches toward the future campus promenade and distant views. The cascading stairs facing the campus function as a “vertical piazza” through which the scientists and students pass in moving through the building, encouraging interaction and spontaneous informal conversation. Transparent by day, at night the building glows like a lantern and reveals the dynamic character of the grand staircase. And other common areas, projecting the activity within the building outward to the campus, defining the MRB’s entry and symbolizing the spirit of discovery and innovation.