At the confluence of architecture and science, technology and craftsmanship, historic memory and future promise, lies the Allen Institute – an elegant, 270,000 square foot research facility that is designed to embody the institute’s guiding principles: team science, big science, and open science. The Allen Institute relies on the collaboration of scientists around the world to advance neuroscience and cell science. This same spirit of partnership guided the design and construction teams as they planned and designed a new home to expand scientific horizons that benefit a worldwide community.

Labs and offices fan out from the large, light-filled atrium as a series of “petals,” maximizing daylight and views and visually connecting the building’s activities. Its seven stories house dry and wet labs, a data center and education center, an electron microscopy area, and a public plaza with an interactive art installation.

The historic Ford and Pacific McKay buildings, which were once on site and carefully placed in storage during the reconfiguration of the Mercer corridor, are incorporated back into the new building for retail services. The building also features a massive rooftop mechanical penthouse and three and a half levels of below-grade parking.

The integrated project team leveraged BIM and Lean principles to resolve challenges and meet the developer’s goals for preservation and sustainability.