November 4, 2004
Ground to be broken on new kind of building
The University will break ground Friday, Nov. 5 on a unique building that relies on recovering the cost from tenants craving research space on campus.
The Research & Technology Building, located just west of Publications Services, and south of the Burke Gilman trail will cost about $49 million. Central administration sources have provided $9 million. The remaining costs — core and shell, plus anticipated tenant improvements — will be financed by UW-issued revenue bonds.
About one-quarter of the 93,000 assignable square feet in the building is currently committed; the rest is still available. Research scientists who get involved soon will realize a cost savings of about 5 percent, because the construction of their laboratories will occur at the same time the shell of the building is constructed.
The building is the first Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBOM) structure that the University has constructed. What this means is that the shell and core, including elevators, the mechanical and electrical systems, are already designed. But the shape and composition of the internal space is determined by the tenants, based upon their needs for wet labs, dry labs or offices. The building is designed so that it can meet current research needs but is flexible enough to be changed with relatively short notice.
Tenants will pay for the space based upon how much they occupy and how much it costs to build and use the space. “It’s our expectation that the cost of this research space will be recovered with funds from indirect cost recovery, although units may use donor or gift funds, or departmental funds,” says Denis Martynowych of the Capital and Space Planning Office. “Users must cover all occupancy costs, including their portion of the debt service for the core and shell of the building, tenant improvement costs, operating expenses, management costs and all applicable fees.”
In a DBOM project, the operator of the building is part of the design team from the beginning and also functions as property manager, responsible for tenant relations and building maintenance. But the building is owned by the UW.
In an earlier presentation to the Board of Regents, vice provost Harlan Patterson described this building as introducing a new paradigm for UW construction. He said. “It’s more of a private sector model.” The only services provided by the UW will be telephones, computing and parking, which will be charged according to C&C and Parking policies for all campus buildings. Tenants will also pay for all other services, such as custodial and general maintenance.
“What makes this building unique is that it is not being built for a specific tenant, such as a college or particular department,” says Andy Casillas, project manager with the Capital Projects Office. “We are looking to satisfy a need for grant funded research that cannot be met by current construction projects or off-campus space. The building is designed with the versatility to accommodate most of the known and anticipated research requirements on campus. With the contractor required to guarantee the energy efficiency of the building for up to 30 years, we feel the building will remain cost-competitive throughout its life.”
The building will be approximately 122,000 gross square feet of which 93,000 will be available for research and support activities. It will be six stories high and will include a parking garage underneath.
“The building’s layout will be flexible,” says Martynowych,” and will be able to accommodate a wide variety of uses.” The building will be designed, constructed and certified to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards as a high-performance, sustainable building.
Groundbreaking for the Research & Technology Building will be at 3 p.m. Friday.
Speakers will include Richard Chapman, associate vice president for capital projects; Paul Hopkins, professor and chair of chemistry; Mary Lidstrom, associate dean for new initiatives and professor of chemical engineering; Chen Ching Liu, associate dean and professor of electrical engineering; and David Mortenson, vice president of M.A. Mortenson Co. Eric Smith of the Capital Projects Office will emcee the event.
This building will be used only for University programs. For more information about renting space in the Research & Technology Building contact Denis Martynowych (206-543-7466, denism@u.washington.edu) or Colleen Pike in the Capital and Space Planning Office. Or, go to http://www.washington.edu/admin/pb/RT/index.htm.
