SAN DIEGO-The J. Craig Venter Institute, a not-for-profit genomics research institute, has officially broken ground on a new California facility. The JCVI building, designed by ZGF Architects, will consist of a 45,000-square-foot, highly adaptable, wet laboratory and computational laboratory building on the University of California, San Diego campus.

The building, slated to be completed in 2013, will support 125 scientists and staff. JCVI tells GlobeSt.com that the approximate cost is $35 million.

“We are thrilled to be embarking on this new building project here on the campus of UCSD. The building is a unique design that will meld the environmental philosophies of our genomics research with the sustainability goals that I believe must be part of all of our lives,” explains J. Craig Venter, founder and president of JCVI, in a prepared statement. Important features of the new JCVI building include: One of the first true “net-zero energy” biological research laboratories in the world, generating 100% of its power on site; Use of natural day lighting and views, natural ventilation/passive cooling, rainwater harvesting, native low-water landscaping, use of regional materials, green roofs, recycled content, sustainably harvested wood; Rainfall runoff from the building rooftop will be stored in cisterns to provide water for irrigation, cooling towers, and washing photovoltaic panels; and roof gardens featuring flowering trees, shrubs, grasses and succulents will be installed on the three terraces to help shade and cool the building.

The JCVI currently has two facilities—a temporary facility near the UCSD campus with 60 researchers and the east coast headquarters in Rockville, MD with approximately 240 scientists and staff. McCarthy Building Cos. is the general contractor.

Other companies involved in the design and construction of the JCVI building are:, Integral Group / IDeAs, KPFF Consulting Engineers, Jacobs Consultancy, Andropogon Assoc. with David Reed, Landscape Architects, David Nelson & Assoc., SC Engineers Inc., and Sustainable SoCal Inc.

According to Craig Swenson, project director for McCarthy, the new J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla will be one building consisting of a single-story, 12,605-square-foot laboratory wing; a three-story, 28,600-square-foot office wing; a 3,560-square-foot loading dock area; and a partially below-grade, 44,040-square-foot parking structure. The laboratory and office wings will sit atop the roof/podium deck of the parking garage.

Instant Insights /

J. Craig Venter Institute Begins Sustainable Lab

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