UCSD Franklin Antonio Hall

The Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California San Diego develops advanced research solutions for the public good. This kind of learning and discovery calls for a space that inspires creativity and sparks innovation. Franklin Antonio Hall, UCSD’s new 186,000-square-foot research campus, is comprised of thirteen large facilities known as “collaboratories,” where professor-led groups from different but related disciplines are empowered to collaborate and pursue grand-challenge research.

Bordered by three ravines, FAH is perched atop a mesa with views of the campus and the community. Vertical sunshades give the building a serrated sculptural appearance, reducing solar gain while also providing passive daylight to students deep within the building. The design parti creates a direct connection to nature, allowing students to see the campus or canyon from every interior space, sit under a tree in the central atrium or on an outdoor deck, walk the canyon, or enjoy the outdoor architectural stairs.

Targeting LEED Platinum, the building’s photovoltaic panels work to provide renewable energy that is used onsite and fed into the campus grid. To further establish an experiential connection to the surrounding canyon and restore native habitat, 100% regional native plantings were used around the site and nourished with recycled water.

Photography credited to Nick Merrick by the nominator.