University of California, Riverside, Physical Sciences Building 1
Physical Science Building 1 is an integral part of the University of California, Riverside campus expansion. This state-of-the-art multidisciplinary research building provides 51,200 asf of research laboratories; 6,750 asf of laboratory support, 5,050 asf of upper division teaching labs and support, plus 9,100 asf for faculty offices, conference/seminar rooms and departmental administrative spaces.
Site development included follow-up planning studies for future buildings, consonant with the 1990 Long Range Development Plan, which designates the site as the Physical Sciences Precinct for the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.
The four-story building creates a U-shaped courtyard facing south onto the Science Walk, with the primary entrance fronting this major campus thoroughfare and addressing the courtyard. From the entry the main stair connects the centrally located Faculty and Administration Offices on all four floors. Each floor contains research labs which are programmed to accommodate activities in Synthetic, Hybrid and Instrumental Chemistry. Instructional Labs and Conference Rooms are provided on the second floor.
The palette of materials for the building draws its inspiration from historical precedents on campus: wheat-colored Norman brick accented with limestone string and base courses. Exposures to the sun feature a matrix of aluminum sun-shading screens capped by a projecting eave.