Situated on a steeply sloping hill, with a customized, first-of-its-kind uplift restraint system, this Design-Build project came in under the original budget and received LEED Gold accreditation.
Customized Solution
- The 68,500 s.f. building is base-isolated, meaning it is seismically designed to move 26 inches laterally during an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 with little or no damage. Its customized steel frame and friction pendulum isolators helped to meet the “enhanced” seismic performance objectives set forth by the University, while simultaneously supporting the complex architectural design on this difficult site. In addition to seismic isolators, the project utilized a unique seismic uplift restraint system, developed specifically for this building.
- Due to funding requirements, this project was incredibly fast-paced. As a member of the design/build team, Forell | Elsesser played a key role in maintaining the project schedule, as the design, review, and construction of various parts of the building were all happening at the same time.
- The IPD approach created a collaborative environment between UCSF and the design/build team, keeping costs down while allowing innovation to flourish. The collaborative spirit instilled by using the IPD approach resulted in not only a unique, dynamic facility but also a savings of more than $20M off the original design-bid-build price tag of the project.
