Challenge - To achieve the goals of the University John McGuire, as Practice Leader for Science & Education at NBBJ, guided a diverse team of experts from across the region.  This team, comprised of designers, engineers, and speciality consultants, worked closely together to encourage a sense of community and identity for the College of Pharmacy.  The team sited the L.S. Skaggs project to create a gateway for the Health Sciences district.

Over the years the University of Utah’s College of Pharmacy had become dispersed across eight different buildings which made collaboration challenging.  With a focus on educating future leaders and innovators in the field of pharmaceutical research, the College embarked on the creation of a new unified institute devoted to achieving the ideals of translational medicine.  John’s team created flexible, high-performance laboratories and a poison control outreach center connected by informal collaboration areas to enrich learning and build esprit de corps. 

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Critical to the success of the project, sustainability strategies are based on: reflecting the building’s program on the exterior, thoughtful building massing, precise site orientation, and careful consideration of local climate. This strategy will reduce energy and electrical consumption by more than 20% and save $7.5 million over 50 years.

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