WSU Biotechnology and Life Sciences Facility

Pullman, WA

WSU Biotechnology and Life Sciences Facility

The second of six buildings in a master-planned complex to support research and education activities, this five-story biotech facility features open and highly flexible laboratories and a central public space with slender, dramatically exposed, 70-ft concrete columns. MKA examined four framing options before selecting a concrete moment frame system for its economy, performance, flexibility, and vibration and acoustic isolation.  The structure’s design achieved remarkable Class B vibration standards of 2,000 micro-inches per second.  Steel piles providing 150 years of corrosion protection were drilled into bedrock 50 ft below grade to support a foundation built over the poor soils of a drained lake bed.