Science and Engineering Innovation Center
San Francisco State University, Science and Engineering Innovation Center | San Francisco, CA
San Francisco State University’s new 105,000-sq.-ft. Science and Engineering Innovation Center represents the future of STEM teaching. It provides a strong hub that highlights science and engineering innovation in teaching with studio-style lecture/lab environments that reinforce applied learning models.
Partners
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Client San Francisco State University
About The Project
The Science and Engineering Innovation Center (SEIC) is a collaborative design-build project covering the renovation of an existing structure and the addition of a new replacement building. The project supports the instructional and teaching-related research needs of the College of Science and Engineering (CoSE) and the College of Professional and Global Education (CPaGE).
The 5-story SEIC showcases STEM programs and is a new hub for CoSE by creating a radically welcoming, state-of-the-art learning and research environment at the intersection of all departments. The central “heart” is the connective tissue that is a visual beacon, vertical spine and wayfinding element within the SEIC.
The SEIC features a state-of-the-art, 120-seat flexible learning space complemented with undergraduate and graduate teaching/research labs and lab support; large-scale engineering applied project space with smaller scale maker spaces for prototyping and student projects; a student success center, along with ample study and collaboration space to support holistic learning that reinforces belonging and persistence. The facility also includes interdisciplinary faculty workspaces for chemistry and engineering with meeting and seminar rooms and the college’s Dean’s Suite.
Sustainable By Design
The SEIC is the first all-electric building on campus which allows SF State to contribute to a carbon neutral (or negative) future. This helps the university reduce energy and operations costs over the lifetime of the building.
Being all-electric means that domestic hot water and space heating, which are traditionally generated using natural gas, are generated via electricity instead. The building also has a battery backup for emergency power instead of using traditional diesel generators.
In addition to being the first all-electric building on the SF State campus, the facility has been designed to achieve LEED® Gold certification.
Additional sustainability features include:
- 25 percent reduction of storm water runoff from the existing site
- Heat recovery chillers providing both heating and cooling to the building
- Exhaust air energy recovery
- Variable volume exhaust fans varied based on measuring contaminate concentration in the exhaust air stream
- 100% outside air handling units for enhanced indoor air quality
- High-reflectivity cool roof
- High-performance glazing and wall construction
- Low-flow plumbing fixtures
- Elimination of cooling towers (no water use by mechanical systems)
- Advanced lighting controls and 20 percent reduction in lighting power
- Photovoltaic panels on lower roof
Structural Design
GPLA, one of DPR's Family of Companies, played a crucial role in designing the SEIC building by implementing a seismic drift system to fulfill California's regulatory requirements. This system is a structural design feature used to manage and limit the lateral displacement of a building during an earthquake. It also ensures the protection of occupants, lab and office equipment, and operations in the event of an earthquake.
GPLA was also instrumental in the structural design of the exterior and interior systems, which were hybrids of a prefabricated exterior metal panel system and cold form framing. GPLA improved coordination by conducting Level of Detail (LOD) 400 concrete and rebar modeling (a model at a fabrication and assembly level of detail) to serve as shop drawings. Their coordination with the structural engineer, DPR’s self-perform concrete team, Digital Building Components (prefabrication contractor), and the rest of the design and construction team improved project accuracy, reduced construction time, and enhanced safety.
Structural framing and rebar
Structural steel rebar cage
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