The new 66,000 gsf 4-story Schlinger Laboratory integrates chemistry, chemical engineering, and chemical science with other forefront areas of science and engineering research at Caltech. The building is encased in glass from the top to the bottom on two sides of the building. One of the most important aspects of the building is that all work is on display since the large windows allow students to see what experiments researchers and other students are working on. The project qualifies for LEED Gold Certification. Sustainable features include a minimum usage of 20% recycled content/local materials, and at least 90% of spaces which include daylight access.
The building is designed as a concrete flat plate structure with concrete shear walls as the seismic bracing system. The columns are spaced at 27’-6” x 22’ spacing and the slabs are designed for a maximum of 4,000 mips. SBI also performed a three-dimensional state-of-the-art push over analysis to validate its seismic performance and it was peer reviewed by Caltech Professors.
