Saiful Bouquet served as the structural engineer for the UCI Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, a state-of-the-art 215,000 SF research facility designed to foster groundbreaking, collaborative, interdisciplinary work in medicine and health sciences. This landmark project ranks among the largest research centers in the West and aims for LEED Platinum certification, incorporating advanced wet laboratories, core facilities, collaboration spaces, and modern meeting areas.
Our team undertook a rigorous evaluation of various steel and concrete structural schemes during the preliminary design phase, systematically assessing each against critical performance objectives. Key criteria included ensuring flexibility to accommodate evolving research needs, controlling seismic drift, enabling rapid post-earthquake recovery, and, crucially, meeting stringent floor vibration limits essential for sensitive laboratory environments.
Following this comprehensive analysis, Saiful Bouquet selected a reinforced concrete flat plate slab system integrated with strategically placed concrete shear walls as the optimal structural solution. The gravity system primarily features a 12-inch flat plate, selectively thickened to 14 inches in longer bays to enhance stiffness. The lateral system relies on robust special concrete shear walls, carefully located to maximize space planning flexibility while providing exceptional seismic resistance. This structural design effectively supports the building’s mission of facilitating next gen research and innovation.
Awards
2025 DBIA – National Design-Build Project/Team Awards | National Award of Merit – Educational Facilities
